KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL 


boovm  I n nvi 

OH^T>TER 

BY  THE 

Rev.  GEORGE  W.  GILMORE,  A.  AI. 

LIBRARY  OF  PRINCETON 

JAN  2 ^ 2C;3 

THEOLOGiCAL  SEMINARY 

PHILADELPHIA  : 

PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION 
■ AND  SABBATH-SCHOOL  WORK, 

1334  CHESTNUT  STREET. 


COPYRIGHT,  189 


THE  TRUSTEES  OF  THE 

PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION 
AND  SABBATH-SCHOOL  WORK. 


All  Rights  Reserved. 

T3A(b 


Westcott  a Thomson, 
SUreotypers  and  Electrotypers,  Philada, 


TO 

THE  FACULTIES 


THE  COLLEGE  OF  NEW  JERSEY 

AND  OF 

UNION  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY, 

IN  GRATEFUL  ACKNOWLEDGMENT  OF  EQUIPMENT  FOR 
LIFE’S  DUTIES, 

TH  IS  BOOK  IS 


RESPECTFULLY  DEDICATED. 


PREFACE. 


The  author’s  apology  for  inflictiug  a book  upon  the 
public  is  that  he  treats  of  a country  concerning  which 
comparatively  little  is  known.  His  aim  has  been  to 
supplement  the  very  able  book  of  Dr.  Griffis,  the  in- 
teresting work  of  Mr.  Lowell  and  what  we  may  call 
almost  the  pioneer  work  of  the  Rev.  John  Ross.  He 
has  tried  to  add  to  the  public’s  knowledge  of  a curious 
and,  in  some  respects,  very  fascinating  people.  He  has 
not  attempted  to  treat  of  the  history  of  the  nation — 
that  Dr.  Griffis  has  done. 

The  narrative  is  confined  to  what  a person  may  see 
and  learn  while  sojourning  in  the  peninsula.  Doubt- 
less the  experienced  will  find  many  mistakes  of  vari- 
ous kinds.  For  those  the  author  asks  pardon,  and 
will  be  thankful  to  any  one  who  will  indicate  the 
lapses. 

Grateful  acknowledgment  is  hereby  made  (1)  to  the 
Rev.  H.  G.  Underwood,  D.  D.,  for  permission  to  use 
several  of  the  finest  illustrations  in  the  book;  (2)  to 

5 


6 


PREFACE. 


the  editors  of  The  {New  York)  Evening  Post  for  leave 
to  use  the  letters  contributed  to  that  journal  by  the 
author  while  in  Korea ; (3)  to  the  Rev.  Samuel  Macau- 
ley  Jackson  and  the  Rev.  Charles  R.  Gillett  for  en- 
couragement and  advice  in  the  plan  of  the  book ; (4) 
to  the  Rev.  J.  R.  Miller,  D.  D.,  editor  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Board  of  Publication,  for  his  most  competent 
assistance  and  innumerable  suggestions  in  putting  the 
book  through  the  press;  and,  last,  to  my  wife  for 
her  invaluable  aid  in  smoothing  down  many  nodosi- 
ties in  the  composition. 


The  Author. 


PAGE 

9 

22 
44 
, 58 

V. — The  People 75 

VI. — Domestic  Life 96 

VII. — Attire  and  Adornment  . . 134 

VIII. — Woman  and  her  Work 149 

IX. — Amenities  and  Solemnities 158 

X. — Keligion 185 

XI. — Eesources 199 

XII. — Progress  toward  Civilization 226 

250 

265 


XIII. — Foreign  Kelations  . . 

XIV.  — Foreign  Life  in  Korea 
XV. — Missionary  Work  . . . 


291 


ILLUSTRATIONS, 


Korean  Stone  Dog Frontispiece. 

Mandarin  in  Court  Dress 27 

City  Wale 45 

Enclosure  in  Palace  Grounds 60 

Little  Porters  and  Candy  Vender 65 

Group  of  Peasants 77 

My  Teacher  and  his  Wu'e 89 

Peasants*  Huts 97 

Outside  Wall  with  Veiled  Women 104 

Mural  Decorations,  End  of  a House 121 

Buddhist  Monks  and  Mourners 140 

Returning  from  Washing 155 

Dancing  Girls  (two) 179 

Buddhist  Shrine 188 

Village  Idols  198 

Working  with  Shovel 204 

Grain-Shop  211 

Mural  Decorations 219 

Great  East  Gate 235 

West  Gate 246 

Gate  Outside  City 254 

Great  South  Gate 266 

Sedan  Chair  and  Attendants 281 

Scene  in  Old  Palace  Grounds 307 

Main  Palace  Entrance 316 

8 


KOREA  lL. 


CHAPTER  I 


THE  COUNTRY. 


HEN  the  writer  of  this  first  signified  to  a college 


friend  his  intention  of  going  to  Korea,  that  friend 
replied,  “ I have  a vague  recollection  that  there  is  such 
a place  somewhere  on  the  eastern  coast  of  Asia,  but  I 
must  get  down  my  atlas  and  definitely  settle  its  location 
in  my  mind.”  Geographical  knowledge  is  often  very 
vague.  Many  times  people  well  informed  in  other  re- 
spects have  asked  how  I liked  it  down  there  ” or  up 
there,”  and  the  question  has  often  arisen  how  such  per- 
sons would  locate  the  little  hermit  kingdom”  on  a 
globe.  People  have  a general  idea  ” of  a place,  and 
so  a word  or  two  as  to  the  location  may  not  be  amiss 
to  particularize  the  position  of  Korea. 

The  most  direct  way  of  going  to  the  country — a de- 
scription of  which  will  settle  its  geographical  position — 
is  either  by  way  of  San  Francisco  or  Vancouver.  Tak- 
ing ship  at  San  Francisco,  we  sail  almost  directly  west, 
southing  just  a trifle,  and  so  run  into  the  harbor  of 


9 


10 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


Yokohama,  Japan.  Now,  if  the  steamer  could  push 
on  through  the  Japanese  Islands,  as  we  have  supposed 
it  to  do  through  the  waves  of  the  Pacific,  we  should 
after  leaving  them  run  into  a peninsula  jutting  out 
from  the  east  coast  of  Asia  toward  the  south-east. 
This  peninsula  is  the  country  of  which  we  are  speak- 
ing. It  stretches  from  about  43°  to  34°  north  latitude, 
and  from  124°  30'  to  130°  30'  east  longitude.  Looked 
at  from  the  United  States,  it  is  directly  behind  Japan, 
and  is  protected  by  the  Japanese  Islands  from  the  waves 
of  the  Pacific.  Lying  as  it  does  between  the  Yellow 
and  Japan  Seas,  it  feels  the  effect  of  the  great  equalizer 
of  temperature,  and  its  climate  is  one  which  makes  no 
severe  drafts  on  the  vitality  of  the  inhabitant. 

This  little  country  of  Korea,  or,  as  the  natives  call  it, 
Cho  Son,  the  ‘^Land  of  Morning  Calm,’'  whose  king  is 
the  monarch  of  ten  thousand  isles,”  has  unique  claims 
on  the  interest  of  Occidentals,  and  especially  on  that  of 
Americans.  Dr.  Griffis  struck  the  key-note  of  this  in 
the  title  of  his  most  excellent  book,  Corea,  the  Hei'mit 
Nation.  The  fact  that  Korea  was  the  last  to  open  its 
gates  for  the  entrance  of  foreigners  within  its  boundaries 
and  to  permit  the  contact  of  an  alien  civilization  is  not 
all  that  gives  it  title  to  this  name.  What  makes  valid  its 
right  to  the  appellation  “hermit”  is  rather  the  persistent 
exclusion  of  all  foreigners  from  its  territory,  going  so 
far  as  to  detain  as  prisoners  within  its  boundaries  mari- 
ners shipwrecked  on  its  shores,  in  order  that  no  news 


THE  COUNTRY. 


11 


might  through  them  reach  other  nations  to  tempt  incur- 
sions for  booty  or  conquest.  The  whole  world  is  now 
open  to  a Western  civilization.  Thibet  still  frets  at  the 
visits  of  curious  tourists,  but  that  little  corner  is  only  a 
province  of  China ; while  Korea  is  a nation  with  au- 
tonomy practically  complete,  and  in  making  treaties 
with  foreign  nations  it  has  taken  the  step  which  can- 
not be  retracted. 

The  United  States  has  more  than  a passing  interest 
in  this  little  country.  While  the  policy  of  our  own 
government  is  to  abstain  from  participation  in  the  af- 
fairs of  other  continents,  it  has  done  more  to  give  to 
two  nations  an  impetus  toward  Western  ways  than  any 
other  government.  Its  citizens  have  on  this  account 
taken  more  interest  and  felt  more  responsibility  for  re- 
sults in  Japan  and  Korea  than  in  any  other  countries. 
Japanese  and  Koreans  are  both  received  with  greatest 
kindness  in  both  government  and  private  circles. 

It  was  the  expectation  of  many  that  when  Korea  was 
opened  up  to  the  world  its  people  would  be  found  sav- 
age, uncouth  and  forbidding  in  their  manners.  Stories 
from  Japan  and  China  had  given  that  impression.  Peo- 
ple looked  to  see  a race  of  savages.  What  must  have 
been  their  surprise,  therefore,  to  find  that  not  only  were 
the  people  of  Korea  not  of  this  description,  but  that,  on 
the  contrary,  in  no  countries  in  the  East,  Japan  and 
India  not  excepted,  were  foreigners  so  cordially  wel- 
comed, so  kindly  received  and  so  right  royally  treated ! 


12 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


As  one  passes  along  the  crowded  streets  of  the  capital 
he  has  not  to  elbow  his  way  through  by  main  force  or 
by  turning  himself  edgewise,”  as  in  the  thoroughfares 
of  our  own  cities.  The  visitor  is  surprised  to  find  that 
nearly  all  natives,  when  they  see  other  than  Koreans 
coming,  turn  aside  and  give  the  right  of  way  to  the 
newcomer.  And  this  comes  not  through  fear — by  this 
time  the  people  have  become  accustomed  to  seeing  white 
faces  and  dark  clothing — nor  through  contempt  or  dread 
of  contamination,  as  in  the  case  of  Hindus  of  high 
caste,  for  they  look  up  to  Westerners  as  people  of  won- 
derful attainments  and  surprising  ability.  The  move- 
ment is  one  of  native  courtesy:  the  Koreans  consider 
foreigners  the  guests  of  the  country,  and  as  such  to  be 
treated  with  all  courtesy.  Similarly,  when  the  king 
takes  an  outing  in  state,  and  a parade  takes  place  which 
corresponds  in  the  minds  of  Koreans  to  the  shows  ‘Bar- 
num  gives  in  the  streets  of  our  large  cities,  crowds  flock 
to  see  the  sights,  and  line  the  streets  six  or  eight  deep. 
At  such  times,  if  the  cry  goes  up,  Here  comes  a 
foreigner  !”  a passage  is  opened  for  the  lucky  man,  and 
he  can  walk  through  and  take  a front  seat  without  the 
slightest  murmur  or  protest  from  any  of  the  parties. 
The  only  exception  to  this  is  perhaps  the  case  of  a coun- 
tryman from  the  backwoods,  who  is  as  much  the  butt  of 
jokes  for  metropolitans  in  Korea  as  in  our  own  land, 
and  who  bears  a name  corresponding  to  our  “ country 
bumpkin.”  Such  a person  may  be  so  engaged  in  star- 


THE  COUNTRY. 


13 


ing  at,  mayhap,  the  first  foreigner  he  has  seen,  that  he 
forgets  his  manners,  and  is  very  likely  reminded  by  the 
shouts  and  laughter  of  other  passers-by  that  he  is  doing 
himself  no  credit  by  his  strange  action. 

The  question,  therefore,  naturally  arises.  If  this  is  the 
disposition  of  the  inhabitants,  if  they  are  so  universally 
courteous  and  kind,  how  shall  we  explain  the  policy  of 
isolation  which  was  so  persistently  adhered  to  till  within 
eight  years — a policy  which  refused  to  the  Chinese,  who 
claimed  suzerainty  over  Korea,  the  right  to  a resident, 
and  even  compelled  an  ambassador  from  the  Emperor 
of  China,  on  the  rare  occasions  when  one  made  a visit, 
to  enter  the  country  with  only  the  scantiest  train  of 
attendants?  The  answer  to  this,  as  to  many  other 
questions  which  will  arise,  lies  in  the  geographical  posi- 
tion of  the  peninsula  between  China  and  Japan. 

The  history  of  Korea  is  a peculiarly  checkered  one. 
Were  we  to  trace  it,  the  one  fact  which  would  stand  out 
before  us  is  the  frequent  invasions  from  China  on  the 
north  and  Japan  on  the  south.  While  the  Chinese  time 
and  again  attempted  the  subjugation  of  the  peninsula, 
occasionally  succeeding,  and  for  a time  adding  it  as  a 
province  to  China,  only  to  find  the  national  life  rising 
again,  unweakened  by  terrible  disaster,  the  Japanese 
have  held  from  the  second  century  of  our  era  that 
Korea  was  a part  of  Japan.  The  consequence  was 
that  hordes  sometimes  reckoned  at  a million  of  men 
were  sent  like  tidal-waves  from  China,  carrying  devas- 


14 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


tation  in  their  wake.  And  again  from  the  south  the 
sturdy  and  brave  soldiers  of  Japan  (and  there  are  no 
better  fighters  in  the  world  to-day  than  the  Japanese) 
overran  the  peninsula  far  toward  the  north.  And  not 
only  this  : we  find  the  Chinese  and  the  Japanese,  whose 
hate  for  each  other  has  ever  been  deadly  (nothing  would 
be  more  popular  to-day  among  the  masses  in  Japan  than 
a war  with  China,  in  which,  if  fought  on  anything  like 
equal  terms  as  to  position,  victory  would  almost  surely 
rest  with  Japan),  fighting  out  their  battles  on  Korean 
soil.  To  this  there  must  be  added  the  incursions  of 
pirates  from  the  Japan  coast  and  islands,  who,  during 
long  periods  when  the  government  of  their  own  country 
was  too  weak  or  too  much  engaged  in  other  things  to  re- 
press them,  ravaged  the*  coasts  of  Korea,  burned  the 
cities  and  kept  the  inhabitants  of  the  peninsula  in  a 
state  of  constant  fear.  It  is  no  wonder,  therefore,  that 
the  Koreans  reasoned  thus  : If  our  own  cousins,  those 

of  Mongolian  origin,  the  people  of  straight  black  hair, 
oblique  eyes  and  yellow  skin,  treat  us  in  this  fashion; 
if  they  know  no  use  for  us  but  to  burn  our  cities, 
plunder  our  territory  and  kill  and  capture  our  people, 
Avhat  must  we  expect  from  barbarians  of  the  West? 
We’ll  none  of  them.”  And  so,  isolated  from  all  that 
she  could  keep  out,  rejecting  all  overtures,  destroying, 
so  far  as  possible,  all  news  that  might  reach  the  outside 
w'orld  concerning  herself,  she  lived  in  content,  shut  in 
and  confined  to  her  own  resources,  until  the  next  to  the 


THE  COUNTRY, 


15 


last  decade  of  the  nineteenth  century  only  has  seen 
treaties  made  with  Western  powers.  Of  course  we  are 
not  to  forget  that  a.  start  was  made  in  the  direction  of 
opening  up  the  ports  of  Korea  when,  in  1876,  a treaty 
was  made  with  the  Japanese.  This  was  not  such  a 
strange  departure.  Communications  between  Japan  and 
Korea  were  not  new.  The  nature  of  the  relations  be- 
tween the  two  countries  had  often  been  practically  that 
of  allied  powers.  But  that  year  was  a significant  one  for 
Korea.  By  it  Japan  once  for  all  gave  up  her  claims  to 
the  peninsula.  In  making  a treaty  the  Japanese  gov- 
ernment acknowledged  the  independence  of  the  sister 
country,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  Koreans  will  come 
to  understand  what  a great  step  was  taken  when  this 
was  done,  and  that  their  gratitude  to  Japan  will  lead 
them  to  regard  the  Japanese  as  their  friends  far  more 
than  they  do  at  present.  The  chief  significance  of  this 
treaty,  however,  is  in  its  opening  a port  of  the  hermit 
nation  to  trade  with  the  Japanese.  The  hermit  condi- 
tion was  by  this  act  abandoned.  The  way  was  paved 
for  other  nations  to  ask  the  same  with  some  reasonable 
ground  of  expectation  that  it  would  be  granted.  After 
several  futile  attempts  on  the  part  of  the  United  States 
and  other  powers,  a treaty  with  the  United  States  was 
negotiated  in  1882,  Commodore,  now  Admiral,  Shu- 
feldt  representing  this  country.  Soon  treaties  followed 
with  England,  Bussia,  Italy  and  France,  and  the  her- 
mit nation  is  a hermit  no  longer.  The  world  is  watch- 


16 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


ing  the  results,  and  the  curious  are  waiting  to  know 
whether  Korea  is  going  to  hasten,  like  Japan,  into 
'Western  ways,  discarding  as  far  as  possible  her  own 
civilization,  or  whether  she  will  imitate  her  other 
and  greater  neighbor,  China,  and  take  a conservative 
and  more  cautious  course,  letting  go  the  old  only  when 
the  new  has  forced  it  into  retirement.  The  trend  at 
present  is  Chinese  rather  than  Japanese,  conservative 
rather  than  radical. 

One  caution  should  not  be  lost  sight  of  here.  Japan 
has  been  visited  by  very  many  tourists,  and  it  has  been 
found  a most  fascinating  country.  The  artistic  tem- 
perament of  the  Japanese  has  led  to  the  development 
of  most  delightful  places  of  resort,  and  Nature  herself, 
the  guide  of  the  native  artist  in  his  home  decorations, 
has  bestowed  her  treasures  with  lavish  hand.  People 
knowing  this,  and  charmed  by  the  tale  of  Korea  and 
its  hermit  condition,  may  fancy  that  it  too  would  be  an 
interesting  land  to  visit.  That  fancy  a visit  would 
rudely  dispel.  The  peninsula  presents  to  the  casual 
tourist  none  of  the  attractions  of  Japan.  The  traveler 
will  find  here  no  interesting  temples  set  in  groves  of 
beautiful  cryptomeria.  There  are  no  picturesque  shrines 
in  lovely  valleys,  few  wooded  hills  inviting  the  traveler 
to  rest,  no  art-producing  workshops,  a delight  to  the 
eyes,  suggesting  a depletion  of  the  purse.  The  country 
in  the  neighborhood  of  the  capital  is  denuded  of  forests. 
One  meets  here  no  hills  terraced  to  their  crests  and  re- 


THE  COUNTRY. 


17 


warding  the  toil  of  thrifty  cultivators  Avith  bountiful 
harvests.  Large  areas  of  apparently  rich  lowlands  lie 
untilled.  The  hills,  bereft  of  their  mantle  of  tree  and 
bush,  lie  open  to  the  baking  sun  and  the  wearing  rain, 
their  gaunt  sides  furrowed  and  seamed  with  channels 
Avorn  by  the  midsummer  floods.  The  sail  up  the  coast 
brings  to  view  no  beauties  of  cultivation  such  as  are 
seen  in  passing  through  the  inland  sea  of  Japan.  Only 
bleak  hills,  rugged  crags,  here  and  there  in  a recess 
the  few  low  huts  of  a fishing  village,  clustered  together 
as  if  seeking  protection  in  company  against  the  strag- 
gling loneliness  of  a shore  Avashed  by  surging  tides  of 
nearly  thirty  feet,  which,  SAveeping  out,  leave  bare  vast 
mud  flats  and  dreary  weed-covered  rocks.  Its  shores 
are  rocky  and  hemmed  in  by  dangerous  shoals  and 
treacherous  rocks.  Only  a vivid  imagination  Avould 
suggest  Korea  as  a land  Avorthy  the  visit  of  peo- 
ple who  seek  Avealth  either  by  robbery  or  industry. 
One  going  to  Korea  must  be  prepared  to  see  a country 
with  apparently  no  resources.  Its  people  seem  slothful 
and  indifferent.  Its  towns  and  villages  appear  unhealthy 
and  its  homes  uninviting.  And  it  is  only  during  a longer 
sojourn  than  tourists  afford  that  aught  attractive  really 
comes  to  the  surface. 

In  passing  through  Japan  every  turn  brings  into  view 
something  to  charm  the  sense  and  instruct  the  mind. 
Interesting  faces,  pretty  costumes,  neat  homes,  careful 
and  economical  agriculture,  grotesque  horticulture,  na- 
2 


18  KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 

ture  served  by  art  beautifying  the  landscape,  spright- 
liness, wit  and  grace,  all  abound  in  Japan,  and  with  all 
there  is  to  be  seen  an  inherent  politeness  in  the  people 
that  bestows  additional  charms  upon  all  besides.  In 
the  Korean  peninsula  faces  appear  dull,  costumes  re- 
peating each  other  grow  monotonous,  houses  are  poor 
and  without  adornment,  agriculture  is  less  skillfully 
carried  on,  and  landscape  gardening  is  unknown,  the 
exceptions  being  crude  attempts  at  the  graves  of  the 
nobility,  and  the  people  gaze  with  open  mouth  at  any 
unusual  sight,  and  seem  at  times  bereft  even  of  mother- 
wit.  There  is  this,  then,  to  be  said  : only  as  one  comes 
to  know  the  people,  to  get  into  their  confidence,  to  see 
their  readiness  to  appreciate  our  advantages  over  them, 
and  to  become  aware  of  the  fact  that  there  is  good  mate- 
rial in  both  country  and  people,  does  the  possible  value 
of  Korea  to  the  world  become  manifest.  Korea  is  not 
the  country  for  tourists.  Its  main  title  to  the  attention 
of  the  curious  is  that  it  has  so  recently  become  possible 
to  see  it  at  all. 

In  its  physical  features  Korea  much  resembles  Japan. 
It  is  very  mountainous,  though  the  mountains  nowhere 
reach  a great  height.  The  backbone  of  the  peninsula, 
like  the  Pyrenees  of  Italy,  runs  rather  nearer  to  the 
north-eastern  side.  From  this  spurs  reach  out  and  run 
toward  the  seas.  The  structure  of  the  ground  has  a 
marked  character  at  about  the  middle  of  the  peninsula. 
There  is  one  place  where  one  can  look  toward  the  south 


THE  COUNTRY. 


19 


and  see  a soil  composed  of  decomposed  granite,  while 
to  the  north  is  seen  that  peculiar  shade  marking  a lime- 
stone formation.  The  valleys  are  fertile,  but,  as  the 
country  is  not  so  densely  settled  as  in  Japan,  we  miss 
here  the  terraces  on  the  hills,  carrying  up  agriculture 
to  their  crowns.  The  hills  have  been  denuded  of 
forests  except  far  toward  the  north  and  in  the  west, 
and  so  they  stand  bleak  and  bare  or  with  a stunted 
growth  of  crooked  pine,  sometimes  covered  with  brush, 
yet  in  the  early  spring  radiant  with  the  pink  and  white 
and  magenta  bloom  of  the  oleander.  For  the  most  part 
these  hills  are  seamed  and  scarred  and  furrowed  by  the 
gullies  the  rain  has  made,  and  at  no  season  and  in  no 
part  of  the  country  is  the  eye  relieved,  as  in  Japan, 
with  alternating  scenes  of  cultivation  and  carefully- 
cherished  woodland. 

The  shores  are  protected  by  clusters  and  chains  of 
islands,  some  mere  rocks,  others  beautiful  with  grass 
and  flower.  The  south-western  coast  has  several  nooks 
which  might  be  available  as  harbors,  but  navigation  of 
these  coasts  is  difficult  and  dangerous.  Hidden  rocks 
abound ; fogs  are  frequent  and  dense.  The  tides  rise 
and  fall  twenty-eight  to  thirty  feet,  causing  eddies  and 
whirls  which  perplex  the  sailor  and  cause  him  no  little 
trouble.  At  low  tide  vast  mud-flats  lie  uncovered,  and 
rocks  appear  which  reveal  to  the  tourist  how  carefully 
approaching  vessels  must  pick  their  way. 

The  climate  of  the  capital,  which  is  in  the  latitude  of 


20 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


RichraoiKl,  Virginia,  is  delightful  except  for  about  six 
weeks  in  midsummer.  Those  sudden  alternations  of 
heat  and  cold  which  mark  the  climate  of  New  York, 
and  are  so  perplexing  to  the  inhabitant,  are  unknown 
there.  Snow  often  lies  on  the  ground  from  the  middle 
of  December  to  the  middle  of  February,  but  at  no  time 
does  the  cold  become  unbearable.  I have  never  seen  the 
thermometer  below  zero,  though  for  nearly  a month  the 
mercury  in  a sheltered  place  did  not  vary  15°,  running 
from  about  5°  to  20°.  Thus  there  is  in  midwinter  a 
level  of  cold.  About  February  1 the  mercury  begins 
to  rise,  until  by  March  15  people  are  making  gardens. 
The  temperature  continues  to  rise  till  about  July  15, 
when  the  summer  level  of  about  90°  is  reached,  with, 
however,  but  few  nights  when  the  heat  makes  sleeping 
difficult.  This  is  the  rainy  season.  And  how  it  rains  ! 
Apparently  the  water  falls  in  sheets.  Clouds  roll  across 
and  drop  their  loads,  and  then  roll  back  and  double  their 
contribution.  Not  steadily,  but  often  a day  or  two  of 
fine  weather  succeeds  a day  or  two  of  successive,  almost 
continuous,  showers,  and  then,  by  September  1,  the 
magnificent  autumn  weather  commences.  This  is  the 
crown  of  the  year.  Delightful  days,  bright  and  sunny 
temperature,  almost  imperceptibly  falling,  so  that  ten- 
nis is  played  sometimes  till  December  15.  I have 
played  tennis  on  December  16  (though  active  work 
was  necessary  for  comfort),  and  gone  skating  on  Christ- 
mas. Thus  there  seem  no  unusual  drafts  on  the  resi- 


THE  COUNTRY. 


21 


dents’  strength,  and,  with  the  care  necessary  in  the  East 
regarding  exposure  to  the  sun  and  the  boiling  of  water 
for  drinking  purposes,  life  seems  as  secure  in  Korea, 
and  certainly  as  pleasant,  as  in  our  own  beloved 
United  States. 


CHAPTER  II. 


THE  GOVERNMENT. 

TN  this  chapter  we  shall  deal  with  the  composition 
^ and  internal  administration  of  the  Korean  govern- 
ment. The  relations  of  the  country  to  the  neighboring 
nations  will  demand  a separate  chapter. 

Power  centres  in  the  king,  or  hapmun,  or  ingum,  as 
he  is  called  by  the  people.  The  functions  of  govern- 
ment are  all  exercised  in  his  name  by  ministers  ap- 
pointed presumably  by  him  and  acting  under  his  au- 
thority. The  people  have  no  share  in  the  government, 
and  no  authority  proceeds  from  them.  In  Cho  Son 
truly  ‘Me  roi  est  I’etat.’’  From  the  king,  therefore, 
power  filters  through  a line  of  officials  down  to  the 
head  man  of  the  smallest  village,  each  official  requiring 
of  those  beneath  him  an  account  for  whatever  transpires 
in  his  own  jurisdiction. 

Two  wrong  inferences  might  be  drawn  from  this  by 
those  unacquainted  with  the  country ; first,  that  the 
people  have  only  to  submit,  no  matter  what  the  char- 
acter of  the  government;  and  second,  that  the  type 
of  administration  depends  on  the  character  and  dispo- 
sition of  each  monarch.  One  of  the  surprises  a watch- 


THE  GOVERNMENT 


23 


ful  resident  in  the  country  meets  is  the  influence  of  the 
people  on  the  government.  Although  the  people  have 
no  voice  in  the  selection  of  officers,  and  no  direct  way 
of  influencing  the  actions  of  the  government,  yet  when 
measures  distasteful  to  the  mass  of  the  inhabitants  have 
been  decided  on  there  is  what  might  be  called  a popular 
protest  entered  by  the  mass  of  citizens,  taking  shape  in 
a sort  of  foment,  at  first  unnoticeable,  but,  as  discussion 
widens,  increasing  in  degree  until  a state  of  excitement 
ensues,  when  business  is  neglected,  what  might  be  called 
mass-meetings  are  held,  and  the  news  gets  to  the  palace 
that  the  people  are  displeased.  So  far  as  I could  learn 
— and  the  phenomena  under  discussion  appeared  several 
times  during  my  residence  in  Korea — these  popular 
protests,  if  founded  in  right,  were  effective  in  producing 
a change  in  the  policy.  If,  however,  the  excitement 
was  caused  by  false  rumors,  if  mischief-makers  had  cir- 
culated false  reports,  and,  owing  to  these,  misapprehen- 
sions were  abroad,  the  usual  course  was  for  proclama- 
tions to  be  posted  in  what  corresponds  to  the  Wall 
street  or  City-Hall  square  of  the  metropolis,  correcting 
the  misunderstanding  and  advising  the  people  to  return 
to  their  occupations.  If,  however,  this  was  not  effective, 
as  was  sometimes  the  case,  a second  proclamation  was 
issued,  in  a different  tone.  The  tenor  of  the  first 
proclamation  may  be  gentle  and  fatherly;  that  of  the 
second  sterner,  and  giving  the  impression  that  busi- 
ness is  meant.”  Generally  a day  or  two  is  allowed  for 


24 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


this  to  have  its  effect,  when,  if  the  excitement  does  not 
subside,  the  military  are  put  into  service,  the  streets 
patrolled,  disturbers  of  the  peace  arrested  and  punished, 
and  so  the  trouble  is  settled.  Thus  the  populace  have  a 
way  of  making  their  wishes  known  and  their  power  felt 
even  to  the  heart  of  the  palace.  Of  course,  inasmuch  as 
the  Korean  army  is  recruited  from  the  people,  a feeling 
of  dissatisfaction  which  is  well  grounded  among  the 
people  has  more  or  less  force  among  the  soldiers.  Tlie 
consequence  is  that  it  is  difficult  to  control  an  outbreak 
if  the  discontent  has  its  basis  on  a real  grievance.  The 
national  conscience  seems  to  have  more  weight  with  both 
sides,  the  rulers  and  the  governed,  than  is  generally  the 
case  in  an  absolute  monarchy. 

The  individual  peculiarities  of  each  monarch  have  less 
influence  on  the  character  of  the  administration  of  the 
government  than  we  should  suppose.  We  might  expect 
that  in  a despotism  untrammeled  by  a constitution  each 
ruler  would  make  his  individuality  felt  to  the  very  limit 
of  the  kingdom.  But  it  will  be  found  that  in  countries 
dominated  (as  is  Korea)  by  Confucianism  there  are,  in 
lieu  of  a constitution,  certain  traditional  limits  within 
which  the  people  may  walk  and  which  the  rulers  may 
not  transgress.  It  is  significant  in  this  connection  that 
the  same  two  words  pop  and  kyou-mo  mean  both  ^^avv” 
and  custom.’^  In  other  words,  while  the  king  and 
officials  are  restrained  by  no  written  constitution,  there 
is  a tradition  or  custom  of  dealing  with  offences,  which  is 


THE  GOVERNMENT. 


25 


binding,  and  a transgression  of  which  constitutes  ground 
for  appealing  from  judicial  decisions.  Dominated  thus 
by  the  custom  of  the  country,  rulers  of  provinces,  of 
towns  and  of  villages  are  less  controlled  by  the  king’s  in- 
dividuality than  might  otherwise  be  the  case.  As  a matter 
of  fact,  the  government  in  each  locality  depends  far  more 
on  the  character  of  the  head  of  that  province,  town  or 
village  than  does  that  of  the  whole  realm  on  the  quali- 
ties of  the  king.  The  good  aims  and  upright  intentions 
of  His  Majesty  may  be,  and  generally  are,  to  a great 
extent  nullified  by  the  cupidity  and  worthlessness  of  his 
officials.  The  poverty  of  the  people  at  large  speaks  vol- 
umes for  the  venality  and  inordinate  desire  of  the  gov- 
erning class.  The  king  has  as  his  immediate  counselors 
and  assistants  three  men  who  are  called  the  prime 
minister”  and  ministers  of  the  right”  and  the  ^Heft.” 
These  three  are  the  chief  men  in  the  kingdom,  and  out- 
rank all  others.  After  these  come  the  heads  of  the 
departments,  six  in  number.  These  are  assisted  by 
numerous  officials  with  rank  running  all  the  way 
dowm  to  the  pettiest  official,  ranking  perhaps  with  our 
country  constable.  The  whole  matter  of  “ rank  ” or 
pessal  is  so  intricate  that  without  an  understanding  of 
it  anything  like  a comprehension  of  the  system  of  gov- 
ernment is  impossible.  There  are  in  Korea  two  kinds 
of  rank,  civil  and  military  (Korea  has  no  navy).  Of 
these  the  higher  is  the  civil.  The  highest  civil  rank 
next  to  that  of  the  prime  minister  bears  the  native  name 


26 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


of  chai-sin  or  chong-seung.  This  rank  is  possessed  only 
by  the  two  assistants  of  the  minister.  The  next  rank 
to  this  is  jpan-sah,  of  whom  there  are  only  a limited 
number  in  the  kingdom.  Below  this  is  the  rank  of 
cham-pan.  Next  comes  cham-way,  and  then  those  of 
chu-sah  and  chu-sdy  of  which  there  are  nineteen  or 
twenty  grades.  As  we  shall  have  very  little  to  say  of 
the  military  establishment,  it  will  not  be  necessary  to 
give  the  names  of  the  grades  in  that  service.  It  may 
be  said,  however,  that  there  are  in  the  capital  four 
battalions,  named  from  the  approximate  positions  of 
their  barracks  or  stations  with  regard  to  the  palace — 
those  of  the  east,  south,  north  and  west,  each  com- 
manded by  a general  or  tae-jang.  From  the  ranks  of 
the  pansahs  or  champans  are  usually  selected  the  govern- 
ors of  the  provinces,  called  kam-sahj  and  the  heads  of  the 
departments  (hyei-jang)  in  the  capital  are  of  this  rank. 
So  foreigners  going  to  the  wae-yamen  or  foreign  office 
find  the  head  officers  pansahs.  Detailed  to  assist  them 
are  chamways,  who  may  become  governors  of  provinces. 
The  men  of  lower  rank  are  detailed  to  lower  and  less 
important  duties  in  the  departments,  while  the  chief 
judges  of  cities  are  taken  from  the  ranks  of  the 
and  two  lower  grades. 

The  etiquette  between  these  different  ranks  and  the 
people  in  general  will  be  treated  of  separately.  What 
the  reader  must  now  understand  is  that  these  various 
ranks  are  grades  of  office-holders,  one  separated  from 


THE  GOVERNMENT. 


27 


another  with  the  finest  discrimination.  Moreover,  when 
a man,  by  passing  examination,  gets  rank,’^  he  becomes 
an  office-holder ; so  that  all  men  of  rank  are  office- 
holders. A man  of  the  people  becomes  thereby  a 

nobleman^’  or  a gentleman.^’  Here  again  the  lan- 
guage illustrates,  for  one  word  for  nobleman  is  pessal 
hananij  or  ^^rank-having,’’  while  the  same  word 
serves  for  rank  ” and  for  office.”  Their  position 
with  reference  to  the  body  of  the  people  is  indicated 
by  another  word,  nopheuriy  or  high  one.”  It  should 
be  mentioned,  however,  that  men  of  high  military  rank 
are  often  detailed  to  service  in  connection  with  civil  de- 
partments. Thus  the  first  president  of  the  board  of 
education,  with  which  the  author  was  connected,  was  a 
general  who  stood  very  near  the  head  of  the  kingdom, 
and  is  reported  to  be  a cousin  of  the  queen.  A man  on 
becoming  an  office-holder  is  assigned  to  some  duty,  and 
is  thereupon  in  the  line  of  promotion.  He  is  supposed 
to  get  his  pickings  at  the  public  crib,  and  the  people  at 
large  furnish  the  fodder. 

With  all  these  ramifications  of  rank  it  ought  to  be  an 
easy  matter  to  secure  responsibility  and  good  govern- 
ment. But,  unfortunately,  the  possession  of  official 
position  makes  it  possible  to  oppress  the  people  with 
but  little  danger  of  punishment  following.  There 
seems  to  be  a tacit  agreement  among  the  nobility  to 
suppress  any  attempt  on  the  part  of  the  common  peo- 
ple to  carry  any  information  against  one  official  to  another. 


28 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


The  sumptuary  laws  are  certainly  defective.  There 
is  an  indisposition  among  the  people  to  lay  up  for  a 
rainy  day.  While  we  were  in  the  country  our  own 
cook  was  becoming  quite  a wealthy  man.  He  had 
bought  two  houses,  and  had  besides  a little  ready 
money,  but  he  informed  me  that  he  always  wanted  to 
work  for  foreigners.  On  being  asked  for  the  reason, 
he  said  that  were  he  not  in  the  employ  of  foreigners, 
he  would  be  immediately  sought  by  some  of  the  officials 
for  the  purpose  of  loaning  them  thirty  or  forty  thousand 
cash  (about  twenty-five  dollars).  As  this  loan  would  of 
course  never  be  returned,  it  would  amount  to  a levy  on 
his  property.  So  long  as  he  was  employed  by  Amer- 
icans, he,  in  accordance  with  treaty  stipulations  in  such 
a case,  could  not  be  arrested  except  through  our  own 
consulate,  and  was  consequently  safe  from  the  exactions 
of  the  petty  officials.  It  became  very  clear  to  me  that 
such  was  a very  usual  method  of  procedure  in  Korea. 
If  it  became  known  that  a man  had  laid  up  an  amount 
of  cash,  an  official  would  seek  a loan.  If  it  were  re- 
fused, the  man  would  be  thrown  into  prison  on  some 
trumped-up  charge.  The  supposed  criminal  would  be 
whipped  every  morning  until  he  had  met  the  demands 
or  had  by  his  obstinacy  scared  the  officials  into  appre- 
hension for  their  own  safety,  or  until  some  of  his  rela- 
tions had  paid  the  amount  demanded,  or  some  compro- 
mise had  been  made. 

But  this  is  not  the  only  method  of  obtaining  money. 


THE  GOVERNMENT, 


29 


By  custom  (or  law),  not  only  a person  contracting  a 
debt,  but  even  his  relations,  are  responsible  for  its  pay- 
ment. The  filching  officials  often  take  advantage  of 
this,  and,  not  being  able  or  not  daring  to  arrest  the 
moneyed  member  of  the  family,  will  arrest  a cousin 
or  brother,  and  then  demand  payment.  When  the  un- 
fortunate fellow  protests  that  he  has  no  money,  and  can- 
not possibly  pay,  the  officers  will  coolly  retort,  “ Oh, 
well,  we  know  that.  But  your  cousin  has  plenty. 
Get  him  to  pay  your  fine.’'  So  close  are  the  bonds 
of  family  relationship  that  this  method  is  usually 
effectual. 

Unfortunately,  these  abuses  of  power  are  not  con- 
fined to  extortion  of  money.  One  of  the  saddest  cases 
which  came  under  my  observation  was  the  following : 
I was  called  out  one  morning  by  one  of  the  servants, 
who  said  that  a man  from  the  country  wished  to  see 
me.  It  should  be  premised  here  that  a notion  had 
gained  currency  that  foreigners  were  very  influential 
with  the  government.  This  countryman  had  heard  this 
rumor,  and  so  came  to  lay  his  cause  before  me  and  to 
seek  my  help.  It  appeared  that  he  had  been  married 
not  a long  time.  He  and  his  wife  had  occasion  to 
make  a journey,  and  as  they  passed  the  house  of  a 
yang-ban  gentleman  ” !)  near  his  own  village  the 
latter’s  servants  had  rushed  out,  seized  the  woman, 
and  had  kept  her  shut  up  and  at  the  ^^gentleman’s” 
service.  Her  husband  had  sought  her  release  at  the 


30 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


hands  of  such  officials  as  he  could  reach,  but  they  had 
not  dared  to  move  in  the  matter,  as  the  man  whose 
servants  had  committed  the  outrage  was  very  influ- 
ential, and  his  position  screened  him  and  prevented 
others  from  seeking  the  punishment  even  of  his  ser- 
vants. Of  course  the  man’s  story  aroused  my  indig- 
nation and  enlisted  my  sympathies,  but,  unfortunately, 
I did  not  possess  the  influence  attributed  to  me,  and,  be- 
sides that,  the  interests  of  our  school,  and  through  that 
of  the  advance  of  civilization  in  Korea,  might  have 
been  jeoparded  by  interference  in  matters  in  which 
I was  not  properly  concerned.  The  outcome  I never 
learned.  I could  only  send  the  man,  in  company  with 
a soldier,  to  the  president  of  the  educational  board,  and 
ask  him  to  listen  to  the  man’s  story. 

Another  case  which  came  to  the  attention  of  the 
teachers  in  the  government  school,  and  which  con- 
cerned , us  more  immediately,  had  happier  results : 
There  were  attached  to  our  school  as  directors  and 
assistants  a number  of  officials.  These  were  each  at- 
tended by  a numerous  retinue  of  servants,  and  in  ad- 
dition many  of  the  scholars  were  also  accompanied  by 
attendants.  Thus  there  were  collected  quite  a band 
of  men  whose  interests  were  common  and  who  were 
ready  for  almost  any  imposition.  Our  advent  had 
been  watched  for  by  the  community  with  a good  deal 
of  interest.  We  had  come  under  the  best  auspices. 
It  was  known  that  the  government  was  at  our  back, 


THE  GOVERNMENT. 


31 


and  so  we  were  favorably  regarded  by  the  community. 
After  our  work  had  proceeded  for  some  time  we  were 
surprised  to  find  that  people  began  to  look  with  less 
favor  on  us.  Black  looks  were  cast  at  us  as  we  passed 
to  and  fro.  Finally  there  came  to  us  the  news  that  a 
fight  had  taken  place  in  the  street  near  the  school- 
house,  caused  by  the  abduction  of  a woman  from  her 
husband  and  her  confinement  in  an  outhouse  where 
the  servants  congregated.  We  soon  learned,  by  a 
searching  investigation,  that  not  only  had  this  been 
done,  but  that  forced  loans  had  been  levied  on  the 
neighborhood  by  the  servants  referred  to  above,  who 
had  asserted  that  this  had  been  done  with  our  knowl- 
edge and  consent,  and  that  we  shared.  We  immedi- 
ately summoned  the  officers  of  the  school  and  laid  the 
matter  before  them.  We  assumed,  of  course,  that  the 
thing  had  been  done  without  their  knowledge,  although 
we  were  morally  certain  that  at  least  one'  of  the  under 
officials  had  profited  by  the  scheme,  but  we  told  them 
that  no  such  course  would  be  permitted,  and  intimated 
that  unless  such  doings  ceased  immediately  we  should, 
through  our  minister,  acquaint  His  Majesty  with  what 
was  going  on.  We  also  informed  the  scholars  that 
while  they  might  not  have  known  of  the  proceedings, 
we  should  hereafter  hold  them  responsible  for  the 
correct  behavior  of  their  servants.  These  vigorous 
and  uncompromising  steps  showed  them  that  we  were 
in  earnest,  and  effectually  broke  up  the  practice  in  our 


32 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


neighborhood.  If  such  doings  could  be  practiced  in 
the  capital,  almost  under  the  walls  of  the  palace,  it 
can  be  surmised  how  hard  may  be  the  lot  of  poor 
people  away  in  the  provinces,  entirely  at  the  mercy 
of  unscrupulous  and  rapacious  officials  upon  whom 
there  is  little  or  no  check. 

Hence,  when  travelers  return  and  speak  of  the 
poverty  and  indolence  of  the  Koreans,  it  must  not 
be  taken  for  granted  that  this  is  the  result  of  their 
temperament.  It  must  be  remembered  that  the  peo- 
ple have  no  incentive  to  labor.  The  fact  that  men  in 
the  employ  of  foreigners  have  shown  commendable 
zeal  in  laying  up  stores  for  a needy  time  while  they 
were  practically  under  the  jurisdiction  of  an  American 
consul,  and  so  in  no  danger  of  oppression  from  their 
officials,  is  proof  that  their  laziness  is  not  innate,  but 
results  from  the  apathy  caused  by  a knowledge  that  all 
fruit  of  toil  • above  what  is  required  for  the  veriest 
necessities  is  liable  to  be  stolen  from  them  by  corrupt 
and  insatiate  officials  against  whom  they  are  power- 
less. 

Appeals  to  the  supreme  power  are  exceedingly  dif- 
ficult from  the  fact,  already  mentioned,  that  officials 
are  chary  of  listening  to  complaints  against  one  of 
their  number.  So  it  is  a very  rare  occurrence  for 
His  Majesty  to  hear  of  the  wrongdoings  of  his  subor- 
dinates. Besides  this,  there  is  a custom  among  them 
that  the  king  must  hear  no  unpleasant  news  if  it  is 


THE  GOVERNMENT. 


33 


possible  to  prevent  such  reaching  him.  Of  course, 
when  wrong  has  been  done  a man  of  another  nation- 
ality, the  wrong  comes  to  the  king’s  ear  through  diplo- 
matic or  consular  channels,  and  then  punishment  is  swift 
and  sure.  Thus,  during  my  residence  in  the  country  it 
happened  that  a friend  of  the  president  of  the  foreign 
office  had  borrowed  money  of  a Japanese,  and  the  presi- 
dent had  gone  on  the  man’s  bond.  Money  bears  five  to 
six  per  cent,  interest  per  month  in  Korea,  and  as  the 
debt  was  not  paid  it  accumulated  so  fast  that  soon  the 
minister  was  unable  to  pay.  The  Japanese  appealed 
to  His  Majesty  through  his  consul,  and  the  result  was 
that  Kim  Yum  Sik,  the  president  of  the  foreign  office 
and  one  of  the  highest  and  best-known  officials  in  the 
country,  was  stripped  of  his  rank  and  dignities  and 
banished  to  a distant  province.  The  old  man  laugh- 
ingly said  to  a foreigner,  Oh,  I’ll  soon  be  back,” 
meaning  that  he  would  be  recalled ; but  in  that  he  was 
mistaken,  as  tlie  king  was  seriously  displeased,  and 
apparently  has  forgotten  all  about  him,  leaving  him 
in  exile. 

But  not  only  in  the  ways  indicated  above  do  officials 
abuse  their  power.  There  is  besides  a great  deal  of 
nepotism  in  the  ranks.  It  is  a fact  that  the  sons  of 
high  officials  are  invariably,  before  reaching  the  age  of 
maturity,  well  advanced  in  official  position.  Thus  among 
the  scholars  in  the  school  we  had  one  who,  being  the  son 

of  a deceased  prime  minister,  had,  before  reaching  the 
3 


34 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


age  of  twenty-six,  gained  the  rank  of  cham-way,  an  ex- 
ceedingly elevated  rank  for  so  young  a man.  We  had 
another  student,  the  son  of  one  of  the  prime  ministers, 
who,  though  under  eighteen,  had  already  reached  one  of 
the  highest  grades  of  chu-sd.  The  case  of  this  young 
man  was  a remarkable  one.  He  was  very  bright,  and 
his  abilities  were  unusually  good.  But  he  was  lazy, 
and  as  soon  as  the  novelty  of  his  study  of  English  wore 
off  he  became  remiss  and  paid  almost  no  attention  to  his 
work.  The  consequence  was  that  when  he  came  to  an 
examination  before  the  king  he  was  totally  unprepared. 
The  officials  were,  however,  equal  to  the  occasion,  for 
the  son  of  so  high  an  official  must  not  fail.  Special 
examination  books  had  been  prepared,  and  each  scholar 
had  been  given  his  page  and  told  to  prepare  it.  It  was 
expected  that  thus  the  scholars  would  go  through  swim- 
mingly. One  thing  they  had  overlooked,  however,  and 
that  was  that  the  king  might  submit  the  examination  to 
the  teachers’  judgment.  In  fact,  this  was  what  hap- 
pened, as  His  Majesty  asked  the  teachers  how  each 
scholar  had  done,  so  that  we  were  able  to  give  to  each 
scholar  the  grade  his  work  had  earned.  The  son  of 
the  prime  minister,  learning  what  was  going  on,  sent 
first  the  scholars,  and  afterward  one  of  the  board  of 
education,  to  plead  with  us  to  allow  him  to  take  a high 
grade,  on  the  plea  that  his  father  was  a prime  minister. 
Our  reply  was  that  his  father’s  position  made  no  differ- 
ence in  the  matter  at  issue,  and  every  mistake  he  made 


THE  GOVERNMENT. 


35 


would  be  counted  against  him.  The  consequence  was 
that  the  young  man  went  into  the  very  lowest  division, 
and  lost  much  prestige.  Yet  it  was  the  purpose  of  the 
school  officials  to  have  him  pass  as  a fine  scholar  in 
Euglish,  and  so  gain  an  advance  in  official  position. 

It  is  a fact  well  known  in  Korea  that  while  examina- 
tions* are  held  with  the  purpose  of  finding  scholars  who 
are  capable  of  taking  part  in  the  administration  of 
government,  these  scholars  were  most  frequently  found 
among  the  sons  of  officials.  The  examiners,  having 
received  a bribe,  can  easily  find  the  paper  of  the 
briber,  and  by  ostentatiously  showing  it  to  His  Maj- 
esty gain  for  the  writer  the  coveted  honor. 

My  own  teacher,  an  exceptionally  honorable  as  well 
as  well-read  man,  told  me  that  he  would  very  much  like 
to  obtain  rank,  but  said  he  could  not  do  so,  as  he  had  not 
the  money  or  the  influence  necessary.  Asking  how  it  was 
that  either  was  necessary  when  the  examination  was  held 
to  find  ability,  he  said,  ‘^Very  true;  but  very  many 
papers  are  written.  The  king  sees  only  a few,  and 
those  are  selected  by  the  assistants  of  His  Majesty.  If 
I knew  one  of  these  men,  I might  persuade  him  to  see 
my  paper  and  show  it,  or  I might  brighten  his  eyes 
with  some  cash.’^  Asking  him  how  much  cash  would 
be  needed,  he  said,  Oh,  perhaps  a hundred  thousand  ” 
(about  fifty  dollars).  I then  said,  Suppose  I should 
offer  to  lend  you  that  amount?’^  To  this  his  reply  was, 
* See  chapter  on  language  and  literature. 


36 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


You  are  very  kind,  and  I appreciate  your  ofier,  but  it 
is  not  according  to  my  conscience  to  get  rank  in  that 
way.” 

In  short,  after  allowing  for  the  superior  abilities  and 
education  arising  from  association  with  cultivated  classes, 
when  we  come  to  take  note  of  the  number  who  compete 
in  all  examinations  (often  over  one  thousand  competitors 
appearing  at  a single  one),  and  also  when  we  take  cogni- 
zance of  the  wide  diffusion  of  knowledge  of  the  Chinese 
classics,  we  cannot  but  agree  with  the  scholar  quoted, 
that  cash  does  “ brighten  the  eyes  ” and  open  them  to 
merit.  The  skill  with  which  civil  service  examinations 
are  evaded  in  Korea  might  well  awaken  the  admiration 
of  political  heelers  in  our  own  land. 

The  divinity  which  doth  hedge  a king  is  in  many 
respects  a hindrance  to  the  advancement  of  the  king’s 
own  wishes.  It  often  prevents  his  knowing  things 
which  it  were  better  he  knew.  It  is  true  he  is  an  auto- 
crat, and  that  he  may  order  instant  death  upon  any  of 
his  subjects.  It  is  true  that  those  found  guilty  of  pecu- 
lation or  of  malfeasance  in  office  are  degraded  and 
severely  punished.  But  this  does  not  hinder  gifts  and 
moneys  which  emanate  from  the  palace  and  are  sent  by 
His  Majesty’s  order  from  being  appropriated  in  greater 
or  less  quantities  by  the  officials  through  whose  hands 
they  pass.  Thus,  two  mouths  after  our  arrival  it  was 
supposed  by  the  king  that  the  buildings  for  the  royal 
school  and  the  teachers’  houses  had  been  completed,  and 


THE  GOVERNMENT. 


37 


that  the  scholars  had  been  assembled  and  put  to  work. 
This  was  evinced  by  a present  of  fans  being  ordered  for 
the  scholars  during  the  hot  weather.  There  being  no 
scholars  in  the  school  at  that  time,  said  fans  were  almost 
certainly  appropriated  to  the  use  of  the  official  in  charge. 
There  was  no  check  on  the  matter,  though  doubtless 
had  the  affair  come  to  the  king’s  ears,  some  one  would 
have  been  severely  punished.  Among  the  presents  sent  to 
those  in  the  government  service  things  quite  frequently 
appeared  which  were  certainly  iM^^orth  receiving,  but 
no  one  supposed  that  such  gifts  ordered  to  be  sent. 
Good  gifts  were  intended,  and  were  taken  from 

the  storehouse,  but  they  had  been  e^Cyiged,  and  the  dif- 
ference was  appropriated  by  some 

A picture  of  the  parade  which  atWSls  official  life  is 
given  by  Mr.  Foulk,  late  lieutenant  itflie  United  States 
navy,  and  may  be  found,  with  much‘'|T»ier  interesting 
matter,  in  “ Papers  relating  to  the  Forfejpi  Relations  of 
the  United  States,  transmitted  to  Congress  Dec.  8, 1885,” 
Washington,  1886,  pp.  319-23: 

^‘About  the  courts  of  the  yong  mun  (official  residence) 
is  at  all  times  a great  crowd  of  attendants,  police  runners 
and  soldiers  in  coarse  uniforms  of  variegated  colors  indi- 
cating their  position.  These  pass  the  orders  of  the  great 
man  within  in  long-drawn  shrill  cries  heard  long  dis- 
tances away  from  the  yong  mun;  they  come  and  go, 
carrying  and  bringing  messages.  Squatting  with  heads 
close  to  the  ground,  they  speak  in  stage  tones  to  the 


38 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


officer  in  the  high  place  within  from  morning  to  night, 
at  both  of  which  times,  at  the  opening  and  closing  of  the 
gates,  there  is  a great  noise  of  drums,  of  shrill  fifes  and 
of  weird  cries ; all  seems  bustle  and  confusion,  believed 
to  be  necessary  to  the  dignity  of  the  officers.  I was 
assigned  to  a kilchung  or  guest-house,  off  the  main  court- 
yard. This,  like  all  official  houses  I have  seen,  was  in 
general  arrangement  like  that  of  the  governor.  A host 
of  braves  were  detailed  to  provide  for  me.  Their  atten- 
tions were  painful  in  time.  If  I tried  to  nap,  the  word 
went  forth,  ‘ The  great  man  (tai-in)  sleeps ; be  still/  and 
in  a little  time  a continuous  wrangle  and  racket  began, 
preventing  all  sleep,  in  the  efforts  of  the  braves  to  keep 
each  other  quiet,  and  thrashing  vigorously  the  citizens 
who  came  to  get  a peep  at  the  foreigner.  Meals  ap- 
peared six  times  the  first  day,  seven  the  second,  and  at 
short  intervals  during  the  day  an  officer  appeared  to  ask 
if  I had  eaten  well,  and,  if  so,  to  thank  me.^^ 

Enough  has  been  said  to  show  that  not  the  least  of 
the  drawbacks  the  hermit  kingdom  has  to  battle  with  is 
the  cupidity  and  incapacity  of  her  governors  and  rulers* 
In  the  administration  there  is  a strange  combination  of 
shrewdness,  weak  puerility  and  indecision  which  is  de- 
cidedly Oriental. 

The  0}>ening  of  the  country  to  trade  necessitated  the 
adoption  of  customs  regulations,  and  nothing  better  could 
have  been  done  than  what  soon  after  took  effect,  viz. : 
the  collection  of  customs  was  placed  under  the  adminis- 


THE  GOVERNMENT. 


39 


tration  of  the  Chinese  service,  then  under  the  direction 
of  Sir  Henry  Parkes.  This  ensured  a faithful  and  care- 
ful  handling  of  the  customs,  and  at  the  present  time  the 
customs  service  of  Korea  is  really  a part  of  the  customs 
service  of  China,  though  no  part  of  the  duties  collected 
goes  into  the  Chinese  treasury.  All  surplus  remaining 
over  the  cost  of  administering  the  service  goes  into  the 
Korean  treasury.  This  surplus  is  increasing  each  year, 
and  the  government  is  deriving  a considerable  sum  from 
this  source. 

The  government  derives  some  revenue  from  the  rais- 
ing of  silk,  and  so  an  expert  was  engaged  to  look  after 
the  cultivation  of  the  silk- worm.  This  became  a burden 
on  the  government’s  hands,  for  after  an  engagement  of 
about  five  years  the  expert  has  left  his  position,  the  only 
result  of  his  years’  service  to  the  government  being  some 
small  mulberry  orchards  of  sickly  growth  ; and  probably 
not  a dollar  has  colne  or  will  come  to  repay  the  thou- 
sands of  dollars  expended  in  his  services  and  in  the 
planting  of  the  orchard.  Another  act  of  the  govern- 
ment was  the  establishment  of  a mint  in  the  capital. 
This  had  to  be  built  almost  entirely  by  foreign  labor, 
which  is  of  course  costly.  Two  experts  were  engaged 
to  oversee  the  setting  up  of  the  machinery.  This  last 
was  of  the  most  costly  kind,  and  some  of  the  pieces  of 
mechanism  are  spoken  of  as  being  the  best  and  most 
delicate  to  be  had.  This  has  been  completed  now  for 
over  two  years,  and  the  only  use  thus  far  made  of  the 


40 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


plant,  which  cost  nearly  two  hundred  thousand  dollars, 
has  been  to  run  a few  sample  coppers  through  to  show  His 
Majesty  what  it  could  do.  Yet  the  native  mints,  manu- 
facturing tediously  and  slowly  the  copper  cash  of  the 
country,  remain  in  operation,  sometimes  working  night 
and  day  to  turn  out  the  medium  of  exchange.  Thus  the 
machinery  which  cost  so  much  is  rusting  away,  and  will 
doubtless  soon  be  utterly  useless.  A lack  of  judg- 
ment as  to  what  is  needed  here  has  caused  the  sinking 
of  what  to  the  Korean  government  is  a large  sum  of 
money. 

In  the  neighborhood  of  Ping  Yang  are  some  fine  de- 
posits of  excellent  coal,  cropping  out  and  running  near 
the  surface  of  the  ground.  The  government,  with  that 
jealousy  of  allowing  control  to  rest  in  foreigners’  hands 
which  is  seen  in  China  and  Japan,  has  refused  to  make 
contracts  with  foreign  syndicates  to  get  out  this  coal. 
They  have,  however,  bought  mining  machinery,  intend- 
ing to  have  it  set  up  under  foreign  direction  and  then 
mine  the  coal  themselves.  Under  foreign  management 
the  working  of  these  mines  would  bring  in  a very  large 
revenue.  As  the  case  stands,  the  mines  are  worked  only 
to  a small  extent,  and  that  in  a most  wasteful  manner. 
The  machinery  is  scattered  all  over  the  country,  unpro- 
tected and  rusting  away,  while  the  burrs,  nuts  and  all 
detachable  parts  are  being  stolen  and  sold,  for  the  cop- 
per or  other  metal  that  is  in  them.  Here  is  another  evi- 
dence of  the  incapacity  for  properly  administering  affairs. 


THE  GOVERNMENT, 


41 


and  of  the  absence  of  judgment  as  to  the  best  interests 
of  the  country. 

One  other  example  of  this  shall  suffice : the  Korean 
army  is  naturally  very  small.  There  has  been  an  effort 
made  to  increase  its  efficiency.  Now,  Korea  is  in  a pecu- 
liar position.  She  is  sandwiched  in  between  Japan  and 
China,  two  very  strong  nations.  She  therefore  needs 
either  a very  strong  and  exceedingly  well-equipped 
army,  so  as  to  present  at  least  a show  of  resistance 
in  case  of  attack,  or  else  she  must  have  an  army  sim- 
ply for  police  duty,  and  rely  for  safety  on  the  fact  that 
her  autonomy  is  a necessity  to  both  countries,  and  so 
leave  to  them  the  task  of  defending  her  from  impo- 
sition. 

But  in  1888,  no  less  than  four  officers,  three  from 
the  United  States  and  one  from  Japan,  were  called  in, 
and  contracts  were  made  with  them,  calling  for  salaries 
of  $1100  a month,  to  train  a corps  of  cadets,  and  so 
to  extend  instruction  to  the  four  thousand  troops  or  so 
in  the  capital.  But  after  these  men  had  come  and  had 
attempted  to  begin  work,  they  found  themselves  ham- 
pered and  harassed  so  that  they  could  accomplish 
nothing.  Add  to  this  the  fact  that  their  salaries  were 
for  months  not  forthcoming,  and  it  will  be  seen  that 
this  venture  was  one  of  disaster  for  all  concerned. 
Hardly  any  instruction  has  been  given,  money  has  been 
expended  in  a change  of  uniforms,  and  but  little  real 
benefit  has  resulted  from  the  engagement  of  these  gen- 


42 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


tlemen.  There  might  be  added  to  these  miscarriages  a 
powder-mill  which  makes  no  powder  and  a farm  which 
produces  no  crops.  But  the  fountain  of  all  these  trou- 
bles lies  in  the  non-perception  by  the  government  that 
enterprises  of  such  character  as  those  mentioned,  if  un- 
dertaken at  all,  must  be  carried  through  energetically 
and  worked  for  all  there  is  in  them. 

Each  of  the  enterprises  mentioned  above,  except  that 
of  the  army  improvement,  might  have  done  well  and 
have  brought  good  returns.  But  they  all  stopped  short 
of  thoroughness,  of  actual  use. 

Perhaps  the  root  of  the  whole  matter  lies  here : the 
king  has  had  a foreign  adviser,”  a gentleman  whose 
competency  has  not  been  seriously  called  in  question. 
This  gentleman  has  advised  against  these  various  enter- 
prises. He  has  argued  that  they  should  be  entered  upon 
later — not  until  the  government  was  in  a position  to  fol- 
low them  up  and  derive  benefit  from  them.  To  this 
gentleman  has  been  paid  a salary  of  $1000  a month 
to  give  advice  upon  which  the  government  would  not 
act.  The  jealousy  toward  foreigners  which  hampers  all 
such  as  engage  with  the  Korean  government,  and  which 
happily  is  felt  least  of  all  in  the  best  service  under 
the  government,  viz.  the  customs,  made  the  employ- 
ment of  this  gentleman  a farce,  the  money  paid  to  him 
a sheer  waste,  and  all  the  other  enterprises  of  the  gov- 
ernment pure  loss. 

The  question  now  is,  whether  in  time  the  king  and 


THE  GOVERNMENT. 


43 


his  advisers  will  let  common  sense  in  these  matters 
guide  them ; whether  they  will  take  the  advice  of  a 
foreign  adviser;”  and  whether  they  will  not  intrust 
to  those  foreigners  whom  they  engage  the  full  control 
of  matters  they  are  under  contract  to  manage,  and  so 
secure  the  end  which  they  are  seeking.  If  they  are 
content  to  let  competent  men  direct  such  matters,  the 
finances  of  the  kingdom  and  the  government  itself  can 
soon  be  put  in  excellent  condition. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  CAPITAL. 

are  accustomed  to  speak  of  the  capital  of  Korea 
' as  Seoul/’  supposiug  that  to  be  the  name  of  the 
town.  Really  that  word  means  the  capital/’  and  the 
name  of  the  capital  is  Kyung-gi-do  or  Kyung-gi. 
Truly  one  may  say  of  Seoul  that  the  capital  is  the 
state.  The  first  impression  one  receives  on  passing  a 
night  there  is  that  somehow  he  has  taken  the  place  of 
Mark  Twain’s  Yankee  in  King  Arthur’s  court.  It  has 
a decided  mediaeval  flavor  to  find  one’s  self  in  a walled 
town  with  the  gates  shut,  going  about  after  dark  with 
lantern  in  hand  in  streets  otherwise  unlighted  and  quite 
deserted  by  men,  with  no  possibility  of  exit  except  by 
scaling  the  walls.  The  capital  of  Korea,  occupying  in 
that  peninsula  a position  much  like  that  of  Rome  in 
Italy,  about  twenty-eight  miles  from  its  port  on  the 
south-west  coast,  is  a town  estimated  to  contain  250,000 
to  400,000  inhabitants,  including  those  villages  clustered 
on  the  outside  l>eneath  the  walls.  The  city  proper  is 
enclosed  by  a wall  ranging  from  twenty-two  to  thirty 
feet  in  height,  forming  approximately  a square  with  a 
perimeter  of  ten  miles.  This  wall  is  made  of  squared 

44 


City  Wall. 


Page  45. 


THE  CAPITAL. 


45 


stones  set  loosely  together  in  some  parts,  in  others  joined 
with  great  nicety.  It  scales  in  its  circuit  two  hills,  one 
of  them  about  eight  hundred,  the  other  one  thousand 
feet  in  height.  The  masonry  is  about  three  feet  thick 
at  the  bottom,  sloping  to  a thickness  of  less  than  two 
feet  at  the  top,  and  is  surmounted  by  a coping.  The 
top  is  battlemented  and  pierced  with  embrasures,  not, 
however,  for  cannon,  but  for  bowmen.  On  the  inside 
the  walls  are  faced  with  a mound  of  earth  six  to  ten 
feet  thick  at  the  top,  which  is  carried  up  to  within  four 
feet  of  the  top  of  the  wall,  and  this  of  course  forms  a 
vantage-ground  for  the  defenders  of  the  city  in  case  of 
assault.  In  time  of  peace  there  is  here  a pleasant  prom- 
enade, except  where  the  wall  passes  over  crags,  in  which 
places  the  climbing  is  difficult  and  requires  a steady 
head.  The  excellence  of  the  construction  of  this  wall  will 
be  understood  when  it  is  known  that  it  has  been  built 
about  five  hundred  years  and  is  now  in  excellent  repair 
except  in  a few  places.  It  has  not,  however,  a smooth 
surface,  but  can  be  scaled  at  very  many  points,  and  at 
intervals  the  slope  is  so  great  that  there  are  found  well- 
worn  traces  where  late  arrivals  habitually  enter  or  leave 
the  city  between  the  times  of  closing  and  opening  the 
gates.  In  some  few  places  the  topr  of  the  wall  is 
broken,  but  not  so  as  seriously  to  impair  its  defensive 
value.  This  wall,  following  the  curves  of  the  hills 
and  the  inequalities  of  the  surface  so  as  to  take  advan- 
tage of  the  defensive  capabilities,  is  pierced  by  eight 


46 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


gates,  ODe  of  which  is  secret,  leading  by  a hidden  path 
to  the  fortress  of  Pook  Hon,  and  is  for  the  purpose  of 
affording  the  king  escape  in  times  of  danger.  The  road 
could  then  very  speedily  be  destroyed  behind  him,  in  one 
of  the  defiles,  so  as  to  make  pursuit  impossible.  These 
gates  are  all,  with  one  exception,  placed  at  the  apex 
of  re-entrant  angles,  so  that  assailants  would  have  to 
submit  to  flank  fire  as  they  pressed  to  the  assault.  The 
exception  referred  to  is  guarded  by  a secondary  wall 
projecting  from  the  main  one  on  the  arc  of  a circle, 
and  run  in  front  of  the  gate  in  such  a way  that  assail- 
ants on  that  side  would  have  to  march  several  rods 
through  a passage  about  twenty  feet  wide  with  flanks 
exposed  to  a raking  fire,  while  the  narrow  space  would 
allow  but  little  opportunity  for  retaliation.  These  gates, 
about  fourteen  to  sixteen  feet  in  width,  are  set  in  arches 
about  sixteen  feet  deep  and  made  of  large  blocks  of 
stone  finely  hewn  and  joined,  which  furnish  as  perfect 
specimens  of  arch-building  as  can  be  seen  in  auy  coun- 
try. These  arches  are  the  most  substantial  works  to  be 
seen  in  the  country.  The  gates  themselves  are  but  sorry 
affairs  in  comparison  with  the  strong  wall  and  the  mag- 
nificent arches.  They  are  made  of  wood  about  three 
inches  thick,  each  side  covered  with  a layer  of  iron 
perhaps  one-quarter  to  three-eighths  of  an  inch  thick, 
and  fold  to  the  centre,  being  fastened  by  clumsy  locks 
so  massive  that  one  of  them  is  a heavy  burden  for  a 
coolie.  They  are  surmounted  by  typical  structures  of 


THE  CAPITAL. 


47 


wood,  two  of  them  two  stories  in  height,  the  others  one 
story  only.  These  are  meant  as  posts  for  detachments 
to  defend  the  approaches,  and  they  make  the  gates 
very  picturesque  objects  and  the  sure  cynosure  of  the 
tourist’s  lens.  While  the  walls,  and  especially  the 
arches,  would  endure  the  assault  of  quite  heavy  artil- 
lery, a five-pounder  or  even  a gatling  gun  would  rid- 
dle the  gates. 

Inside  the  walls,  the  impression  of  mediaevalism  re- 
ceived on  looking  at  a city  begirt  with  massive  walls 
after  the  fashion  of  the  thirteenth  ceutury  is  by  no 
means  removed.  The  visitor  finds  that  there  are  but 
three  wide  streets  in  Seoul.  One  of  these  almost  trav- 
erses the  city  from  east  to  west,  ending  at  the  great 
east  gate.  The  others  run  ofif  at  right  angles  from  this, 
one  of  them  to  the  main  gates  of  the  palace,  and  the 
other  to  the  great  south  gate.  Only  one  of  these  is  kept 
clear  so  that  its  entire  width  can  be  seen  at  all  times — 
viz.,  the  one  leading  to  the  palace.  On  the  others 
booths  and  shops  are  built  out,  so  that  only  a narrow 
way  wide  enough  for  ox-carts  is  left.  On  certain  occa- 
sions, to  be  referred  to  later,  these  booths  are  removed, 
and  the  width  of  these  streets  as  originally  laid  out 
comes  into  sight.  All  the  other  streets  are  narrow 
and  winding,  and  in  many  of  them  it  is  barely  pos- 
sible for  men  on  foot  to  squeeze  past  each  other.  A 
closer  investigation,  however,  shows  that  as  originally 
laid  out  the  streets  were  not  so  contracted.  Gradually 


48 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


the  owners  on  each  side  of  the  way  have  encroached 
on  the  road,  building  farther  and  farther  out,  acquiring 
rights  by  squatter’s  sovereignty,  so  to  speak,  and,  having 
been  left  undisturbed,  have  come  to  own  the  public  way 
and  have  almost  closed  it  up.  Through  these  streets, 
owing  to  their  narrowness  and  to  the  projecting  thatch 
and  tiling  of  the  roofs,  a single  mounted  man  often 
finds  it  difficult  to  ride,  and  must  pass  carefully  along, 
bowing  his  head  and  swaying  in  his  saddle,  to  avoid 
being  swept  from  his  seat. 

There  is  ample  evidence  that  once  a passable  sewerage- 
system  was  provided.  Through  almost  the  centre  of  the 
town  passes  an  open  conduit,  walled  on  the  sides,  ex- 
panding in  width  from  six  to  twenty-five  feet,  and  still 
about  four  feet  in  depth  (it  is  now  silted  up  with  sand 
and  filth),  which  is  the  main  sewer  of  the  city.  Into 
this  smaller  channels  throughout  the  city  empty,  and 
through  it  the  drainage  of  the  whole  city  is  carried  off 
during  the  rainy  season.  A description  of  the  lay  of 
the  city  will  show  how  susceptible  it  is  of  a good  dmin- 
age-system,  and  how  easily,  under  proper  direction,  the 
capital  might  be  made  one  of  the  healthiest  cities  in  the 
world. 

The  lowest  part  of  the  city  is  a valley  through  the 
centre,  sloping  gradually  from  west  to  east,  and  leading 
to  a deeper  depression  conducting  to  the  Hau  River, 
which  flows  some  miles  from  the  town.  About  the  cen- 
tre of  the  city,  on  the  south,  is  a bold,  well-wooded  and 


THE  CAPITAL. 


49 


beautiful  hill  about  eight  hundred  feet  in  height,  rising 
abruptly  from  its  base,  and  showing  in  some  spots  sheer 
precipices  a hundred  feet  in  height.  This  is  called  Nam 
San,  or  South  Mountain.  Diagonally  across  the  city, 
toward  the  north-west,  is  another  hill,  higher  and  with 
a less  dense  covering  of  trees,  in  many  places  only  large 
bare  crags  appearing,  such  as  advertisers  of  patent  medi- 
cines rejoice  to  find.  This  is  called  Pook  San,  or  North 
Mountain.  The  north  and  north-west  sides  of  the  city 
are  terminated  by  bare  rocks  shooting  up  abruptly  to  a 
height  of  three  hundred  feet,  or  by  hills  sloping  rapidly 
down  in  furrowed  masses  of  disintegrated  granite.  Thus 
the  drainage  of  the  city  is  from  north,  south  and  west, 
through  the  centre  of  the  city  toward  the  east,  and 
thence  into  the  river  Han,  a stream  at  all  times  suf- 
ficiently large  to  carry  ofiP  and  render  innocuous  all  the 
refuse  of  even  so  large  a city.  A better  selected  site  for 
a city,  from  a sanitary  standpoint,  could  hardly  be  found, 
and  in  the  plans  for  carrying  off  the  sewerage  the  lay 
of  the  land  was  fully  appreciated. 

The  streets  as  laid  out  had  open  ditches  serving  as 
sewers,  while  the  centres  of  streets  were  raised.  But 
builders  encroached  on  the  streets  and  erected  their 
houses  over  the  sewers,  until  now  there  are  many  houses 
built  entirely  in  the  street,  with  the  sewers  running  be- 
hind the  houses. 

There  are  at  present  three  palace  enclosures  in  the 
city.  That  occupied  at  present  by  the  royal  family  is 

4 


50 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAFITAL. 


immediately  under  the  North  Mountain,  and  is  enclosed 
by  a wall,  exceedingly  well  built,  fifteen  feet  in  height, 
running  at  the  sides  back  to  the  city  wall  where  it  climbs 
the  mountain.  Another  enclosure  is  one  occupied  for- 
merly by  a regent,  afterward  used  as  a mint,  and  now 
fallen  into  a wofiil  state  of  dilapidation.  The  grounds 
are  occupied  by  mulberry  groves  planted  by  the  govern- 
ment for  the  fostering  of  the  silk  industry.  The  third, 
which  was  until  a very  few  years  ago  the  residence  of 
the  royal  family,  is  a large  enclosure  containing  very 
many  pretty  buildings  now  fast  falling  into  decay,  and 
which  is  of  such  great  extent  that  there  is  said  to  be  in 
the  thickets  near  the  back  the  lair  of  a tigress  and  her 
cubs.  There  has  been  some  attempt  at  landscape  gar- 
dening, but,  unfortunately,  it  is  a persistent  notion  of 
the  Koreans  that  the  grounds  about  a residence  should 
be  cut  up  by  walls,  each  set  of  buildings  being  enclosed 
and  shut  off  from  the  rest.  The  reason  of  this  will  be 
seen  when  we  come  to  the  social  life  of  the  Koreans. 

The  houses  of  the  Koreans  may  be  divided  into  two 
classes  according  to  the  materials  of  their  roofs  of  thatch 
or  of  tile.  The  poorer  ones  are  of  course  thatched. 
The  typical  shape  of  a peasant's  hut  is  that  of  a horse- 
shoe, with  one  side  resting  on  the  street,  and  the  court  in 
the  centre.  These  houses  are  separated  one  from  another 
by  high  walls,  so  that  a view  of  a neighbor’s  yard  is 
impracticable.  The  houses  are  of  one  story,  only  a 
few  buildings  used  for  stores  and  shops  having  two. 


Kjidosure  in  Talacc  ('.rounds. 


THE  CAPITAL, 


51 


The  Koreans  do  not  seem  to  care  for  fancy  gardening, 
nor  have  I ever  seen  a house  with  lawns  laid  out  about 
it.  Some  cultivate  a few  flowers,  especially  the  chrysan- 
themum and  hollyhock.  The  houses  of  the  more 
wealthy  are  distinguished  by  occupying  more  ground, 
by  being  built  in  a square  around  a hollow  court  and 
by  having  tiled  roofs.  Besides  this,  the  grounds  are 
entered  through  large  gates,  and  contain  not  only  the 
residence  of  the  owner,  but  sometimes  a great  number 
of  small  out-buildings  which  are  the  homes  of  the 
retainers  and  servants,  besides  wood-houses  and  store- 
houses of  various  descriptions.  The  ground  is  by  no 
means  all  built  up,  and  there  is  unoccupied  space 
enough  inside  the  walls  to  furnish  a large  portion  of 
the  population  with  food  should  the  city  be  besieged. 

The  population  of  the  city  is  not  accurately  known. 
The  census  is  taken  by  families  or  households.  Conse- 
quently the  population  of  the  city  and  suburbs  is  estimated 
at  from  250,000  to  400,000.  Probably  the  former  is 
nearly  the  correct  figure.  The  streets  leading  from 
the  great  south  gate  to  the  central  avenue,  and  the 
central  avenue  itself,  are  the  business  quarters,  and  the 
neighborhood  of  their  intersection  is  the  Commercial 
Exchange  of  the  city. 

It  speaks  volumes  for  the  orderly  character  of  the 
people  that  one  sees' in  the  daytime  no  police.  Police 
duty  is  done  at  night  by  the  soldiers,  and  private  watch- 
men are  also  engaged,  at  least  by  some  of  the  foreigners 


62  KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 

and  by  the  legations.  But  there  is  usually  no  force  on 
duty  in  the  daytime.  Very  rarely,  except  in  times  of 
popular  excitement,  is  there  to  be  seen  anything  that 
suggests  the  need  of  a police  force.  Very  rare  indeed 
is  the  sight  of  a man  in  an  uproarious  state  of  intoxica- 
tion. Not  more  than  two  such  cases  came  under  my 
observation  during  a residence  of  over  two  years.  Not 
more  than  a dozen  cases  of  intoxication  in  any  form 
met  my  eye,  and  these  were  generally  of  men  lying  in 
a stupor  and  sleeping  off  the  effects  of  their  potations. 
Occasionally  there  would  be  what  corresponded  to  a 
fight,  the  usual  method  in  such  cases  being  for  the 
belligerents  to  seize  each  other  by  the  hair  and  attempt 
to  drag  each  other  about  in  that  way. 

Koreans  are  very  susceptible  to  injury.  The  theory 
of  Marks  in  Uncle  Tom’s  Cabin  seems  to  be  theirs  ; I 
don’t  see  why  I shouldn’t  take  care  of  my  skin  : it’s  the 
only  one  I have.”  They  are  disposed,  therefore,  to 
avoid  quarreling.  To  be  sure,  the  tourist  might  often 
imagine  a fight  or  a most  provoking  discussion  going 
on,  for  the  natives  are  exceedingly  loud  in  their  con- 
versation. A native  in  amicable  discussion  will  often 
raise  his  voice  above  concert  pitch,  and  frequently,  after 
asking  a dealer  the  price  of  a measure  of  peanuts,  I have 
had  to  tell  him  that  I was  not  deaf.  But  life  is  per- 
fectly safe,  not  only  in  the  city,  biit  anywhere  through- 
out the  country. 

Not  the  least  strange  of  a newly-arrived  foreigner’s 


THE  CAPITAL. 


53 


sensations  after  nightfall  is  the  perfect  stillness  of  the 
city.  After  dark  the  only  sounds  are  the  occasional 
howl  of  a dog,  sometimes  awakening  responses  from  all 
the  dogs  in  the  neighborhood,  or,  in  summer,  the  shrill 
piping  of  the  frogs  (frogs  piping  in  a city  of  two  hun- 
dred thousand  inhabitants !)  or  the  patter  of  the  iron- 
ing-sticks as  the  housewife  smooths  out  the  coat  of  her 
lord  for  the  morrow’s  outing.  If  the  stranger  feels 
the  stillness  oppressive,  and  leaves  his  room  for  a 
stroll,  he  will  find  a lantern  a necessity,  for  the  city 
is  not  lighted,  and  as  he  looks  out  over  the  dwellings  he 
will  see  but  few  indications  of  the  existence  of  the  thou- 
sands of  inhabitants.  As  he  passes  through  the  streets 
he  may  see  a figure  dart  hastily  through  a doorway,  as 
though  to  be  abroad  were  a misdemeanor,  or  he  may 
meet  a solitary  woman,  or,  mayhap,  a little  company, 
at  least  one  of  them  carrying  a lantern,  passing  quietly 
along  with  faces  carefully  shielded  from  observation.  He 
may  meet  the  patrol — two  soldiers  armed  with  musket 
or  native  flint-lock — sauntering  in  a loose-jointed  man- 
ner over  their  rounds,  but  so  silent  is  the  city  that  his 
own  foot-falls  re-echo  unpleasantly  from  the  walls, 
as  though  he  were  in  a city  of  the  dead.  Here  and 
there  a door  standing  ajar  will  show  a group  of  men  in 
a small  room  lighted  by  a rush-light,  playing  a game 
very  much  like  go-bang ; or  perhaps  a company  listen- 
ing while  one  of  them  sings  a solo  and  they  all  join  in 
the  chorus ; or  they  may  take  turns  in  telling  delightful 


64 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


little  stories,  of  which  there  is  in  Korea  a great  abun- 
dance. After  going  back  to  his  lodging,  if  he  is  enter- 
tained where  a private  watchman  is  engaged,  he  may 
just  be  sinking  into  a doze  when  he  will  be  aroused  by 
a sound  entirely  new  to  him — that  of  a staff  with  strips 
of  metal  fastened  loosely  upon  it,  struck  sharply  on  the 
ground  at  measured  intervals.  He  may  then  learn  that 
the  custom  is  for  watchmen  to  carry  such  a staff,  and  by 
striking  it  on  the  ground  give  warning  of  their  approach. 
Of  course  a robber  is  seldom  caught;  and  it  always 
seemed  to  me  that  one  object  of  this  rattle  was  to  keep 
up  the  courage  of  the  watchman.  Another  sound  some- 
times heard,  even  less  melodious  than  the  howling  of  the 
dogs  and  more  penetrating  than  the  clanking  of  the 
patrol’s  staff,  is  the  bray  of  a donkey.  During  our  first 
night  in  the  capital  we  were  entertained  in  this  way,  and 
as  the  first  note  of  the  animal  broke  upon  the  ear,  and 
prolonged  itself  in  mournful  dolefulness  until  it  seemed 
as  if  the  beast  were  nothing  but  wind  and  a hole  to  blow 
it  through,  the  terror  of  my  wife  was  equaled  only  by 
her  disgust  when  she  found  what  was  the  source  of  the 
noise,  and  that  he  was  stabled  just  over  the  wall.  But 
these  noises  are  only  occasional,  and  impress  the  more 
deeply  the  fact  of  the  peacefulness  of  the  city’s  rest. 

If  the  visitor  wakes  early  in  the  morning  and  takes  a 
walk  through  the  town,  he  will  find  the  scene  trans- 
formed; and  as  he  nears  the  centre  of  the  city  the 
clangor  of  the  morning  market  will  assail  his  ears ; he 


THE  CAPITAL. 


55 


will  find  wooden  platforms  in  the  middle  of  the  street, 
covered  with  dried  fisli,  fruit,  greens,  rice  and  all  the 
varied  articles  composing  the  Korean’s  diet,  and  their 
owners  crying  out  the  virtue  of  their  wares  in  thorough 
Western  fashion ; for  the  people  are  early  risers,  and 
in  summer  five  to  six  o’clock  is  high  market-time.  By 
eight  o’clock,  or  very  little  later,  the  streets  are  pretty 
well  cleared  of  these  articles  of  perishable  nature,  and 
then  purchases  must  be  made  at  the  stores  or  booths. 

One  noticeable  feature  of  the  town  is  the  abundance 
of  dogs.  As  the  stranger  passes  along  he  will  notice 
that  almost  every  door  has  a small  square  hole  at  the 
bottom,  for  every  one  of  which  there  is  at  least  one 
cur.  The  number  of  these  animals  is  legion,  and  their 
behavior  is  an  unending  source  of  amusement  to  all 
the  foreigners.  It  is  the  peculiarity  of  these  dogs 
that  they  take  not  the  slightest  notice  of  Koreans 
along  the  streets;  but  let  a foreigner  approach  one 
of  them  so  engaged  as  not  to  see  him,  and  the  dog 
thus  caught  unawares,  upon  sight  of  the  interloper, 
rushes  off  in  the  utmost  terror,  tail  tight  between  its 
legs,  and  darts  through  the  hole  in  the  door,  almost 
breaking  its  back  in  its  anxiety  to  get  to  a place  of  safety. 
Then,  standing  at  a safe  distance  from  the  hole,  it  barks 
valiantly  as  the  stranger  goes  by,  and  when  he  has  got 
to  a good  safe  distance,  out  it  comes  from  its  retreat  and 
howls  its  defiance,  the  chorus  being  taken  up  by  all  the 
dogs  along  the  route.  Abject  fear  of  foreigners  seems 


66 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


to  possess  all  Korean  dogs.  Time  and  again  I have 
seen  dogs  playing  together  in  the  street  apparently  as 
happy  as  they  could  be,  and  then  at  sight  of  me  rush- 
ing off  as  if  mad,  and  almost  scaling  the  walls  of  the 
houses  in  their  eagerness  to  escape.  They  are  utter 
cowards.  I have  seen  only  two  dogs  in  Korea  which 
seemed  ready  to  fight.  All  of  them  are  hideous  bark- 
ers, but  they  invariably  adopt  the  precaution  of  bark- 
ing from  a safe  distance.  From  descriptions  of  the 
dogs  found  with  the  nomadic  tribes  of  Central  Asia  it 
seems  likely  that  they  and  the  Korean  dogs  are  closely 
related.  They  are  miserable  looking  creatures,  and  show 
that  they  are  but  poorly  fed.  In  summer  they  are  an 
eye-sore  because  of  the  swarms  of  flies  which  crawl 
over  them  and  make  their  wretched  life  still  more 
unendurable. 

The  impression  of  mediaevalism  will  be  heightened 
if  the  foreigner  is  in  a location  whence  he  can  see, 
about  sunset,  the  summit  of  Nam  San,  or  the  South 
Mountain,  or  if  he  can  see  the  peak  of  a hill  a short 
distance  outside  the  west  gate.  The  stranger  looking 
at  the  former  hill  just  before  dark  on  a summer  even- 
ing (later  in  the  other  seasons)  will  see  first  one  fire, 
then  another,  until  at  least  four  fires  are  burning.  He 
will  find  upon  inquiry  that  these  are  the  terminals  of 
as  many  series  of  fires,  signaling  from  the  remote 
provinces  that  all  is  well  and  the  kingdom  at  peace. 
Immediately  the'  palace  bell  is  rung,  and  officials  go 


THE  CAPITAL, 


bl 


to  the  palace  to  report  to  His  Majesty  the  doings  of 
the  day  in  the  several  departments  of  public  business. 
About  the  same  time  one  near  the  west  gate  will  find 
his  ears  assailed  by  sounds  which  are  new  unless  he  has 
visited  China.  These  will  be  found  to  proceed  from  a 
Korean  band  at  the  residence  of  the  governor,  just  out- 
side the  wall,  the  duty  of  which  is  to  play  an  evening 
seranade.  The  gates  of  the  city  are  closed  soon  after 
nightfall,  at  about  half-past  eight  or  nine  o^clock,  no 
exact  time  being  set.  About  nine  o’clock  the  strokes 
of  a huge  bell  near  the  centre  of  the  town  may  be 
heard  resounding  through  the  city,  deeply  and  richly 
resonant  if  struck  in  time,  and  this  signal  corresponds 
to  the  curfew  of  King  John  of  England,  denoting  the 
time  for  people  to  retire  from  the  streets.  Further 
notes  concerning  the  customs  depending  on  this  will 
be  found  in  the  chapters  on  the  customs  and  social  life 
of  the  people. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


« 


THE  LANGUAGES. 


OREA  is  bilingual.  Not  that  two  languages  are 


spoken,  but  that  two  are  used.  Thus  we  find  a 
spoken  and  a written  language,  differing  in  vocabulary, 
in  grammar  and  in  writing,  in  existence  side  by  side. 

The  vernacular  is  a native  language  exactly  like  the 
Japanese  in  its  grammar,  but  differing  from  it  in  vocab- 
ulary, excepting  only  those  words  w^hich  both  have  bor- 
rowed from  the  Chinese  or  have  derived  from  a common 
ancestry.  The  vernacular  is  spoken  by  everybody  from 
the  king  down.  The  great  difficulty  a foreigner  finds 
in  acquiring  it  arises  from  three  sources : its  euphonic 
changes,  its  honorifics  and  the  fact  that  there  is  a Sin- 
ico-Korean  corresponding  to  our  Latin-English.  In 
its  euphony  it  is  like  the  Sanskrit,  from  which  indeed 
its  alphabet  is  derived.  One  who  has  not  had  much 
drill  in  languages  finds  this  feature  a perplexing  one, 
as  the  roots  of  verbs  are  often  so  modified  by  the  in- 
fluence of  the  endings  attached  and  by  contraction  as 
to  be  almost  unrecognizable,  while  in  compound  nouns 
one  of  the  elements  is  often  so  disguised  that  few  would 
suspect  its  origin.  The  honorifics  are  at  first  a most  per- 


THE  LANGUAGES. 


59 


plexing  detail,  and  yet  a thorough  mastery  is  essen- 
tial. These  are  found  in  the  pronouns  and  in  the  verbs. 
Their  use  is  as  follows : a Korean  official  in  speaking  to 
a coolie  would  use  what  foreigners  have  agreed  to  call  a i 
low  ” form,  indicated  by  the  pronoun  and  by  the  end- 
ing of  the  verb ; but  if  he  were  speaking  of  the  king^rv 
he  would  indicate  his  respect  for  the  king  by  a different 
pronoun  and  by  a syllable  interpolated  between  the  root 
of  the  verb  and  the  ending.  If,  however,  he  were  speak- 
ing to  a person  who  was  a little  higher  in  station  than  a 
coolie,  but  not  so  exalted  as  himself,  and  if,  at  the  same 
time,  he  wished  the  person  addressed  to  remember  their 
relative  positions,  he  might  use  the  verb  with  no  end- 
ing whatever.  When  he  spoke  to  an  equal,  he  would 
use  a different  ending ; and  so,  if  addressing  one  whom 
he  desired  to  honor,  he  would  use  a termination  entirely 
different  from  any  of  the  others.  As  a rule,  it  may  be 
said  that  the  longer  the  ending  attached  to  the  verb,  the 
greater  the  respect  for  the  person  addressed.  A new- 
comer who  has  not  mastered  these  difficult  points  in  try- 
ing to  converse  is  apt  to  confuse  his  endings ; and  it  has 
happened  that  when  a host  wished  courteously  to  invite 
a Korean  visitor  to  dismount  and  enter  and  rest,  the 
mistake  has  been  made  of  peremptorily  ordering  him 
to  get  down  and  go  into  the  house.  On  the  contrary, 
a lady  has  been  known  to  use  to  her  servant  the  politest 
forms  of  language,  such,  for  instance,  as  would  be  equiv- 
alent to  asking  him  to  have  the  extreme  condescension 


60 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


to  go  and  bring  in  a scuttle  of  coal.’^  Some  difficulty 
and  qualms  of  conscience  have  been  felt  on  this  account 
by  Americans,  especially  by  missionaries.  Coming  as 
they  do  from  a country  where  the  equality  of  man  is 
preached  (although  socially,  at  least,  not  practiced),  and 
carrying  a gospel  one  of  whose  fundamentals  is  the 
brotherhood  of  man,  they  have  felt  the  inconsistency 
of  addressing  a man  in  terms  which  imply  a conscious- 
ness of  superiority  in  the  speaker.  But  it  should  be 
recollected  that  this  manner  of  speaking  is  a custom  of 
the  country.  The  coolie  who  is  addressed  by  a man 
whom  he  regards  as  far  above  him  feels  no  more  sense 
of  degradation  than  does  the  jin-rickshaw  coolie  in 
Japan  at  getting  a passenger  and  acting  as  the  latter’s 
horse,  though  the  feeling  of  the  foreigner  at  first  is 
about  the  same  in  each  case.  Further  than  that,  were 
any  other  course  followed,  it  would  be  looked  on  very 
much  as  would  disregard  of  the  rules  of  grammar  in 
polite  society  in  our  own  country.  Were  a foreigner, 
in  traveling  through  the  country,  to  address  the  coolies 
as  his  equals,  two  things  might  result:  the  coolies 
would  consider  him  as  low  in  the  social  scale  as  them- 
selves, and,  therefore,  would  not  give  him  the  respect 
really  his  due;  and  the  people  whose  social  position 
approximated  his  own,  hearing  him  speak  to  common 
people  in  what  they  would  think  too  high  terms  of 
respect,  would,  if  addressed  in  the  same  way,  consider 
themselves  aggrieved  or  insulted.  It  must,  however, 


THE  LANGUAGES. 


61 


be  remembered  that  Koreans  realize  the  difficulties 
of  their  language  for  foreigners,  and  that  they  make 
great  allowances  for  the  mistakes  which  they  make 
in  using  it.  This  belief  of  the  people  that  others 
cannot  learn  their  language  often  puts  the  Koreans 
into  rather  ludicrous  positions.  More  than  once, 
when  passing  through  a part  of  the  capital  not 
much  frequented  by  foreigners,  we  have  seen  arti- 
cles we  desired  to  purchase.  On  stopping  and  in- 
quiring the  price,  we  have  been  amused  by  the  as- 
sumption of  the  shopkeeper  that  we  could  not  under- 
stand his  answer,  and  have  watched  his  most  extraor- 
dinary pantomimic  exertions  as  he  tried  to  show  the 
value  of  the  things,  counting  on  his  fingers  or  laying 
out  coins  or  sticks  to  show  the  price,  notwithstanding 
he  had  been  addressed  in  Korean  and  had  grasped  the 
meaning.  After  looking  mystified  for  a while  we 
would  suddenly  ask  the  man  if  he  spoke  Korean,  at 
which  he  would  look  astonished  and  say,  Yeh,  yeh  ” 
(yes,  yes),  and  we  would  tell  him  to  do  so ; at  which 
the  bystanders,  who  are  generally  quick  at  a joke, 
would  laugh,  and  sometimes  bore  the  fellow  with 
their  badinage. 

The  general  courtesy  of  the  people,  spoken  of  in 
another  chapter,  becomes*  especially  noticeable  in  this 
connection.  When  a Korean  hears  a foreigner  speak 
the  native  language  correctly  and  fluently,  his  astonish- 
ment knows  no  bounds.  Once  a party  of  us  were  pass- 


62 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


iDg  along  one  of  the  streets  of  the  capital,  when  two 
countrymen,  attracted  by  the  novelty  of  our  appear- 
ance, began  to  follow  us  in  order  to  watch  our  doings. 
This  finally  became  monotonous  and  unpleasant,  and  one 
of  the  party  turned  and  requested  the  countrymen  to  do 
one  of  two  things — either  to  go  ahead  or  stay  behind. 
They  then  passed  on,  one  remarking  to  the  other  as 
they  passed,  And  do  they  speak  Korean  in  his  coun- 
try also?^’ 

Students  of  Korean  are  discussing  the  question  of  the 
affinities  of  that  language,  and  are  disputing  whether 
it  is  an  inflectional  or  an  agglutinating  one.  Certain 
it  is  that  many  of  the  endings,  especially  of  verbs,  are 
words  yet  used  independently.  It  must  also  be  ac- 
knowledged that  of  many  other  endings,  for  instance 
that  marking  the  accusative,  the  derivation  is  unknown 
or  at  least  very  uncertain.  It  must  also  be  borne  in 
mind  by  those  who  may  study  the  Korean  grammar 
that  the  natives  have  very  little  idea  of  the  science  of 
philology,  and  hence  but  little  help  must  be  expected 
from  them  in  the  direction  of  scientific  derivation,  and 
hardly  any  reliance  can  be  placed  on  their  statements. 
As  an  example  of  this,  on  a certain  occasion  three  men 
of  good  attainments  in  Korean  and  Chinese  were  asked 
the  derivation  of  a certain  ending,  and  as  many  differ- 
ent answers  were  given.  The  facts  seem  to  be  these : a 
student  may  consider  the  language  inflectional,  and  may 
so  learn  it ; that  is,  paradigms  of  nouns  and  verbs  can 


THE  LANGUAGES. 


63 


be  constructed,  by  learning  which  he  will  have  the 
grammar  of  the  language  at  command.  But  as  surely 
as  he  begins  to  use  his  knowledge,  he  will  find  that 
most  of  the  conjunctions  are  attached  immediately  to 
the  verb,  from  which  the  agglutinative  character  is  at 
once  seen.  Moreover,  what  may  be  termed  the  case 
endings  of  nouns  may  be  omitted  when  no  ambiguity 
will  arise  from  their  absence.  The  student  has  also 
to  learn  that  there  are  no  prepositions  in  the  language, 
the  words  which  perform  those  functions  being  post-posi- 
tive. There  is  still  another  difficulty  which  learners  will 
meet : it  is  a matter  of  experience  that  a foreigner  may 
learn  to  understand  the  ordinary  conversation  of  Koreans 
whom  he  meets  every  day,  and  will  take  in  the  sense  of 
what  is  said  by  the  mass  of  the  people,  but  on  a visit  to 
a nobleman  or  high  official  will  find  a different  vocabu- 
lary in  use,  and  will  be  unable  to  follow  the  drift.  This 
is  due  to  the  fact  that  officials  use  many  so-called  Sinico- 
Korean  words — i.  e.,  words  borrowed  from  the  Chinese 
— which  are  not  in  use  among  the  masses.  This  corre- 
sponds to  what  is  found  in  our  own  language,  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  warp  and  the  Latin  and  French  woof.  And  this 
arises  largely  from  the  peculiarity  we  have  mentioned 
above — viz.,  the  bilingual  character  of  Korean. 

Along  with  the  spoken  or  vernacular,  we  find  the 
Chinese  as  the  medium  of  correspondence,  of  official 
documents,  etc. ; not  that  the  vernacular  is  not  written, 
but  that  it  is  not  the  vehicle  of  the  best  literature  of  the 


64 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


country.  Many  books  are  printed  in  Korean,  but  they 
correspond  to  our  cheap  fiction.  Almost  all  works  of  a 
philosophical,  religious  or  ethical  character  are  in  Chinese. 
A knowledge  of  this  fact  leads  us  to  the  correct  conclusion 
that  Chinese  culture  and  letters  dominate  the  peninsula. 
The  Confucian  and  Mencian  classics  are  the  sacred  books 
of  Korea,  as  they  are  of  China.  Those  who  make  any 
pretensions  to  scholarship  must  read  easily  and  write  cor- 
rectly the  Chinese.  This  is  the  medium  of  promotion  to 
official  position.  It  is  that  without  which  no  one  can 
hold  office.  Hence  it  is  probable  that  at  least  one-third, 
perhaps  one-half,  the  male  population  is  tolerably  well 
versed  in  both  Korean  and  Chinese,  for  nearly  all  males 
are  eligible  to  office.  Reference  has  been  made  to  the 
examinations  held  for  promotion  to  official  position.  As 
these  vary  only  in  importance  and  in  the  numbers  attend- 
ing them,  a description  of  one  will  suffice : 

These  examinations  or  quagas  are  held  in  the  en- 
closure behind  the  palace.  To  them  come  candidates  for 
honors  from  all  parts  of  the  country.  These  candidates 
assemble  at  the  time  announced,  to  write  essays  or  poems 
on  the  topics  assigned  or  to  answer  the  questions  asked 
in  the  paper.  Examinations  are  not  conducted  like 
tliose  in  China,  where  each  candidate  is  shut  up  in  a 
little  compartment  until  he  has  produced  his  thesis. 
On  the  contrary,  the  competition  is  in  an  open  field, 
where  the  candidates  work,  some  in  the  heat  of  the  sun, 
some  under  the  shade  of  a large  umbrella,  some  of  the 


Little  Porters  and  Candy  Vender.  Page  65. 


■r-y.X 


'.V 


•V 


VV  • 


v,r 

■ ‘ ■ ■ A . ' 


iV 


■ /^'- 


Sv 


.'•'vr 


t'l 


THE  LANGUAGES, 


65 


more  wealthy  under  tents.  One  umbrella  or  one  tent 
will  often  shade  several  candidates,  who  take  their  ink 
from  the  same  source.  The  paper  used  by  the  contest- 
ants is  huge  in  size,  measuring  about  a yard  in  width  by 
four  feet  in  length.  This  is  folded  in  a manner  settled  by 
custom,  and  the  requisite  number  of  characters  painted  on 
each  side.  The  ink  employed  is  India  ink,  for  the  prep- 
aration of  which  a hollowed  stone  or  slate  is  used,  in 
which  a little  water  is  poured  and  the  ink  then  rubbed  in 
the  water.  The  pen  is,  properly  speaking,  not  a pen  at 
all,  but  a small  brush,  the  holder  of  which  is  a piece 
of  bamboo.  This  is  dipped  in  the  mixture,  and  then 
the  characters  are  painted  on  the  sheets  of  paper  de- 
scribed above.  In  this  way  beautifully  shaded  work 
is  produced.  There  are  to  be  seen  in  the  old  palace  in 
the  capital  inscriptions  which  a well-informed  Chinaman 
said  would  bring  thousands  of  dollars  in  China  because 
of  the  beauty  of  the  writing.  As  the  work  of  rubbing 
the  ink  is  no  small  task,  it  often  happens  that  a party 
will  associate  and  work  together,  one  rubbing  while  the 
others  work,  and  each  taking  his  turn.  Passing  around 
among  the  contestants  are  numbers  of  venders  of  candy, 
which  is  made  of  honey  and  sprinkled  with  little  seeds, 
and  venders  of  little  cakes  and  of  various  drinks,  some  of 
which  are  harmless  enough,  others  suited  for  making  the 
head  swim.  Attendants  and  officials  and  soldiers  swarm 
in  crowds.  On  one  side  of  the  field  is  a massive  stone 
platform  elevated  nearly  six  feet  above  the  level,  and  on 


66 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


this  a canopy  beneath  which  are  chairs  and  in  the  rear 
of  which  are  neat  little  buildings,  where  His  Majesty, 
who  is  supposed  to  be  the  arbiter  of  the  contest,  remains 
during  the  examination.  A large  space  is  fenced  off  in 
front  and  at  the  side  of  this  platform  with  ropes  held  up 
and  fastened  by  various  curious  native  weapons — spears, 
war-clubs,  antiquated  halberds  and  weapons  combining 
the  make-up  of  sword  and  spear,  and  resembling  bill- 
hooks used  for  clearing  underbrush  from  woodland. 
Soldiers  armed  with  muskets  and  various  firearms, 
native  and  foreign,  antique  and  modern,  march  or 
lounge  around;  side  by  side  lounge  rather  than  stand 
two  soldiers,  one  armed  with  a repeating  rifle  of  ex- 
cellent make,  with  sabre-bayonet  fixed,  and  the  other 
bearing  a native  flint-lock  with  small  breech-piece,  fired 
not  by  pressing  against  the  shoulder,  but  held  out  at 
arm’s-length.  These  guards  do  not  seem  to  be  there 
for  the  purpose  of  watching  the  candidates  or  to  pre- 
vent unfair  advantages  being  taken.  Their  sole  purpose 
seems  to  be  to  add  to  the  pomp  of  the  occasion.  The 
candidates  are  all  known  by  their  caps,  tall,  black, 
woven  of  horse-hair  and  open  at  the  top,  which  dis- 
tinguish them  as  far  as  they  can  be  seen.  These 
candidates  range  in  age  from  boys  to  hoary-headed 
veterans,  from  the  silken-  and  fur-robed  noble  to  the 
cotton-clad  peasant.  As  their  papers  are  finished  they 
are  signed,  then  unfolded,  rolled  up  into  a neat  roll, 
and  then  brought  and  thrown  as  far  into  the  rope- 


THE  LANGVAGES. 


67 


enclosed  area  as  they  can  be  tossed.  We  once  saw  a boy 
come  up  gayly,  with  careless  and  joyous  face,  and  with  a 
laugh  that  showed  the  hopefulness  of  youth  gleefully 
pitch  over  his  paper,  evidently  casting  hardly  a thought 
upon  this  his  first  essay  in  the  arena  of  literature. 
Thence  his  paper  was  picked  up  and  carried  to  be 
placed  on  the  platform,  where  it  would  be  lost  in  the 
pile  which  soon  became  many  feet  in  length.  Soon 
after,  we  saw  approach  an  old  man  who  pushed 
his  way  through  the  throng  which  surrounded  the 
enclosure  up  to  the  very  front,  and  then,  with  anxiety 
written  on  every  line  in  his  face,  carefully  poising  his 
paper  in  the  air,  he  threw  it  at  the  feet  of  a servant, 
who  picked  it  up  without  a thought  that  in  that  paper 
were  concentrated  the  study  of  a lifetime  and  perhaps 
the  last  hopes  of  an  old  man  of  gaining  that  goal  of  a 
Korean’s  desires,  official  position.  We  saw  the  old  man 
stoop  and  crane  his  neck  as  he  saw  his  last  venture  carried 
up  and  laid  away  in  the  pile,  with  nothing  to  distinguish 
it  from  the  hundreds  which  lay  there,  and  then,  as  he 
saw  it  safely  laid  away,  with  a sigh  that  reached  our 
hearts  and  aroused  our  sympathy,  he  turned  away, 
hoping  against  hope,  and,  gathering  up  his  writing- 
tablet  and  his  equipments,  he  slowly  wended  his  way 
home.  We  saw  few  sights  in  Korea  which  appealed  so 
powerfully  to  our  sympathy  as  that  old  man,  whose 
aspect  was  almost  pitiful  while  with  solicitude  he 
watched  his  paper  laid  away.  We  could  not  approach 


68  KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 

him  to  ask  his  hopes  and  fears,  but  doubtless  he  had 
been  present  at  many  qaagas.  Perhaps  as  a boy  he  had 
first  entered  the  lists.  He  had  saved  and  studied,  per- 
haps come  yearly  from  a distant  province,  and  year  after 
year,  trial  after  trial,  had  passed,  and  still  to  him  the 
coveted  prize  did  not  fall.  At  last,  saving  his  strength 
and  husbanding  his  resources,  he  had  mustered  up  cour- 
age to  try  yet  this  once.  If  he  failed  now,  perhaps  he 
would  die  of  grief.  Sad  to  say,  this  old  man’s  effort 
was  unsuccessful.  The  man  who  took  first  prize  was 
a young  nobleman,  son  of  a high  official. 

The  severity  of  these  examinations  is  undoubtedly 
very  great.  They  are  often  on  some  important  subject 
treated  in  the  Chinese  classics.  Such  questions  are 
asked  as:  ‘‘What  does  the  yih  king  say  is  the  duty 
of  children  at  the  death  of  a father?”  The  answer 
to  such  a question  necessitates  a perfect  recollection  of 
a long  passage,  ever}"  character  of  which  must  be  re- 
produced with  the  utmost  faithfulness.  We  recognize 
at  a glance  the  intricacy  of  the  Chinese  characters. 
When  we  recollect  that  these  characters  have  to  be 
memorized,  and  that  the  order  in  which  the  strokes 
of  the  complex  characters  must  be  made  is  settled  and 
may  not  be  deviated  from,  the  severity  of  the  task 
begins  to  appear. 

We  have  referred  in  the  chapter  on  government  to 
the  method  in  which  the  successful  candidate  is  chosen. 
When  the  competitors  number  nearly  a thousand,  as 


THE  LANGUAGES. 


69 


they  often  do,  the  king,  who  is  the  arbiter,  can  cer- 
tainly not  find  time  to  examine  all  the  papers.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  he  sees  only  a few,  perhaps  not  more 
than  a single  one.  What  more  natural  than  that,  by 
a prior  arrangement,  the  paper  of  a certain  competitor 
should  be  found  so  far  in  advance  of  all  the  rest  that 
only  that  one  shall  be  found  worthy  of  meeting  His 
Majesty ^s  eye,  and  so  the  favored  one  get  the  reward 
his  cash  has  bought?  Or  perhaps  a fellow-mandarin 
has  a son  whom  he  desires  to  have  elevated,  and  the 
assistant,  realizing  that  his  time  may  come  later,  yields 
to  persuasion  and  favors  his  friend.  Thus  it  happens 
that  very  many  of  the  important  honors  fall  to  the 
nobles,  though  it  does  happen  that  well-laid  plans 
gang  aft  agley.’^  The  king  sometimes  perhaps  sus- 
pects the  stratagem,  and  insists  on  seeing  more  than 
his  helpers  desire : the  consequence  is  an  unexpected 
reward  of  merit.  In  the  smaller  and  less  important 
quagas  the  poorer  classes  are  very  often  successful,  and 
I have  known  several  who  have  worked  their  way  up 
from  low  positions  to  very  respectable  places  in  the 
public  service.  It  is  undoubtedly  the  purpose  of  His 
Majesty  to  gather  around  him  an  able  and  faithful 
corps  of  workers,  but  it  must  not  be  forgotten  for  a 
moment  that  the  means  relied  on  for  promotion  to 
positions  of  trust  is  nearly  always  proficiency  in  the 
Chinese  language. 

This  institution  of  the  quaga  is  one  of  the  redeem- 


70 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


ing  features  of  countries  dominated  by  Chinese  learn- 
ing. It  shows  the  tribute  paid  to  culture,  and  is  one 
of  the  things  which  renders  so  pleasant  in  the  country 
the  position  of  foreigners,  who  are  looked  on  as  men 
who  have  taken  honors  in  the  American  quagas,  and 
so  are  entitled  to  high  consideration. 

Not  the  least  peculiar  of  the  abuses  attending  these 
quagas  is  the  passing  of  them  by  proxy.  Thus  a man 
who  finds  himself  unable  from  any  cause  to  attend  may 
go  to  one  of  his  friends  and  engage  him  to  write  a paper 
for  him,  paying  down  a certain  amount,  from  a dollar 
to  several  dollars,  and  agreeing  to  pay  a much  larger 
sum  provided  the  paper  shall  secure  the  prize.  One 
man  sometimes  passes  in  not  less  than  four  papers  in 
a single  examination.  The  facts  that  there  is  no  reg- 
istry of  candidates,  and  that  the  papers  are  not  handed 
in,  but  are  thrown  inside  the  roped  enclosure,  make  this 
easy,  and  so  in  this  way  the  quagas  are  a source  of  in- 
come for  men  who  are  known  to  be  good  scholars  and 
excellent  writers. 

The  Koreans  have  many  tales  connected  with  this 
institution,  and  some  of  the  best  of  them  cluster 
about  a monarch  who  was  the  Korean  Haroun  A1 
Raschid.  One  of  these  runs  somewhat  as  follows  : 
The  king,  who  loved  to  go  around  incognito,  that  he 
might  find  out  the  condition  of  his  people,  one  time 
applied  his  eye  to  a crack  in  a window,  and  was  amazed 
to  find  in  a room  which  betrayed  the.  poverty  of  the 


THE  LANGUAGES, 


71 


occupants  an  old  man  weeping,  a woman  singing  and 
a younger  man  gayly  dancing  to  the  woman’s  merry 
notes.  The  combination  was  an  unusual  one,  and 
aroused  the  curiosity  of  the  king.  He  therefore 
knocked  at  the  entrance,  and  after  a little  conversa- 
tion, in  which  he  played  the  role  of  the  belated  trav- 
eler, he  confessed  what  his  curiosity  had  led  him  to  do, 
and,  mentioning  the  sight  he  had  beheld,  asked  an  ex- 
planation of  the  peculiar  actions.  His  host,  who  was 
the  dancer,  was  for  a long  time  reluctant  to  tell  the 
reason,  but  at  length  told  the  disguised  king  that  he 
was  the  son  of  the  old  man  who  wept.  The  old  man, 
he  said,  had  formerly  been  wealthy,  but  through  the 
avarice  and  oppression  of  officials  had  been  stripped 
of  his  possessions.  They  had  since  been  in  great 
straits,  and  often  knew  not  how  to  provide  for  their 
daily  needs.  The  old  man,  on  this  account,  had  grown 
melancholy,  and  so,  at  eventide,  the  son  and  his  wife 
were  wont  to  sing  and  dance,  so  as  to  draw  the  old 
man’s  mind  from  his  troubles.  This  was  the  explana- 
tion of  the  strange  scene  presented  to  the  visitor’s  eye. 
The  king,  not  disclosing  his  identity,  then  entered  into 
conversation  upon  topics  of  national  interest,  and  dis- 
covered in  his  host  a man  of  extraordinary  knowledge 
and  discretion,  which,  coupled  with  the  filial  love  so 
admirably  shown  in  the  repression  of  his  own  anxiety 
in  the  endeavor  to  cheer  the  father,  quite  won  the  king’s 
heart.  He  then  asked  the  host  whether  he  proposed  to 


72 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


enter  the  quaga  to  take  place  on  the  morrow.  To  this 
the  reply  was  given  that  he  had  not  even  heard  there 
was  to  be  one.  Oh,  yes,”  said  the  king,  and  if  I 
were  you  I would  enter.  If  you  take  the  prize,  it  will 
place  you  above  want,  and  make  your  father’s  last  days 
comfortable  and  bright.”  The  host  promised  that  if 
there  was  an  examination,  he  would  certainly  attend. 
The  king,  apologizing  for  his  intrusion,  withdrew,  and 
on  returning  to  his  palace  ordered  a proclamation  to  be 
posted,  giving  notice  of  a quaga  to  be  held  on  the  fol- 
lowing day.  The  people  of  the  capital  were  surprised, 
for  no  examination  was  expected  then  ; but  the  news 
flew,  and  the  candidates  flocked  in.  When  the  subject 
was  given  out,  it  was:  “A  weeping  elder,  a singing 
woman  and  a dancing  man.”  The  candidates,  except- 
ing one,  were  all  astonished,  and  agreed  that  no  such 
subject  was  treated  in  the  classics,  and  wondered  how 
they  should  proceed.  The  man  who  had  entertained 
the  king  was  also  lost  in  wonder,  not  at  how  he  should 
treat  the  subject,  but  at  the  coincidence  between  the  sub- 
ject and  his  own  daily  practice.  However,  he  was  at 
home  with  the  theme,  and  treated  it  in  a skillful  and 
ingenious  manner.  Upon  examination,  his  paper,  of 
course,  was  the  only  one  which  treated  the  subject 
adequately,  and  so  he  was  adjudged  the  prize.  Orders 
came  to  him  to  be  present  the  following  day  at  the 
court,  as  he  was  now  an  official.  He  was  therefore 
presented  at  court,  and  was  astonished  to  find  on  the 


THE  LANGUAGES. 


73 


throne  his  late  inquisitive  visitor.  The  king  received 
him  kindly,  appointed  him  to  a lucrative  office,  and 
gained  for  himself  a staunch  adherent  and  an  able 
officer. 

The  above  story  has  a twofold  use ; it  illustrates 
the  stories  current  in  Korea,  and  also  shows  how  it  is 
possible  so  to  frame  an  examination  as  to  benefit  the 
one  intended,  and  no  one  else. 

As  to  the  originality  of  the  Koreans  and  their  lit- 
erary ability  the  following  little  poems  will  be  good 
evidence.  They  were  written  in  Japanese,  and  were 
translated  into  English  by  the  Rev.  Henry  Loomis  of 
Yokohama,  Japan,  to  whom  the  author  is  indebted 
for  copies.  The  names  of  the  writers  will  be  remem- 
bered, especially  that  of  Kim  Ok  Kiun,  as  belonging 
to  men  connected  with  the  emeute  of  1884 : 

Bright  youth  with  all  its  joys  has  flown, 

My  locks  are  touched  with  gray, 

And  when  a few  more  years  have  gone, 

1 too  shall  pass  away. 

I crave  the  feelings  of  a boy. 

And  purpose  in  my  heart 
That  youthful  hope  and  youthful  joy 
Shall  nevermore  depart. 

My  locks  may  whiten  as  the  snow. 

My  form  grow  stiflf  and  chill. 

But  in  my  heart  shall  dwell  the  glow 
Of  youthful  spirits  still. 

Kim  Ok  Kiun. 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


/ 


Oh  mountain  I Time’s  great  sentinel  I 
Hoary  with  age,  speak  now  and  tell 
What  names,  illustrious  in  their  day, 

In  stately  pride  have  passed  this  way. 

And  if  in  ages  yet  to  come 

Some  passing  traveler  here  may  roam, 

And  make  from  thee  the  same  request, 

Oh,  give  my  name  among  the  rest. 

Pak  Yong  Hio. 


Within  a mountain  recess  deep 
A lonely  hamlet  stood, 

And  there  I lay  me  do^vn  to  sleep, 
With  nothing  to  intrude. 

But  when  in  slumber  sweetly  laid 
A barking  dog  near  by 
Aroused  me  from  my  rustic  bed. 

To  see  what  foe  was  nigh. 

No  form  of  danger  hovered  near — 
The  dog  was  there  alone. 

And,  foolish  brute  ! in  idle  fear 
Was  barking  at  the  moon. 

And  thus  how  often  do  we  see. 

For  want  of  better  sight, 

A fancied  ill  will  prove  to  be 
Only  the  moonbeams  light. 


Sah  Jai  Pll. 


CHAPTEK  V. 


THE  PEOPLE. 

TT  is  a fact  that  even  those  who  have  visited  the 
peninsula  have  returned  with  mistaken  impressions 
concerning  the  physique  of  the  people.  Tourists  have 
talked  and  newspaper  correspondents  have  written  as 
though  Koreans  were  much  above  the  average  of  man- 
kind in  height.  There  are  two  possible  explanations 
of  this : those  who  have  either  visited  or  lived  in 
Japan,  or  even  in  China,  have  become  accustomed  to  the 
diminutive  stature  of  those  peoples,  and  when  among 
the  taller  people  of  Cho  Son  have  naturally  magnified 
the  stature  of  the  latter ; another  reason  for  this  mis- 
take is  found  in  the  garb  of  the  Koreans.  It  is  a well- 
known  fact  that  a long  overcoat  adds  to  the  apparent 
height  of  a tall  person,  and  seemingly  enhances  the 
stature  of  a short  one.  Now,  the  Koreans  all  wear 
flowing  coats,  and  when  we  remember  that  these  coats 
are  often  white,  we  can  understand  the  misapprehension 
visitors  have  labored  under  in  speaking  of  the  stature 
of  a Korean.  One  is  often  some  time  in  the  country 
before  he  finds  out  the  truth  of  the  matter.  Many 
a time,  as  he  looks  at  a man  standing  some  few  feet 


76 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


away,  he  will  imagine  the  latter  considerably  taller  than 
himself,  but  a side-by-side  comparison  will  show  the 
shortness  of  the  Korean’s  stature.  Anthropometric 
records  have  not,  so  far  as  I know,  been  kept  of  the 
Koreans,  but  my  own  observation  would  lead  me  to 
say  that  the  men  average  a little  over  five  feet  six 
inches  in  height — perhaps  five  feet  seven.  The  women 
— those  whom  I have  seen;  and  the  reason  for  this 
qualification  will  appear  in  the  chapter  on  social  life 
— are  very  much  shorter.  Their  hair  is  long,  straight, 
black  and  coarse.  Without  dressing  or  dye,  such  as 
nearly  all  use,  there  is  a tendency  to  a dirty,  tawny 
tinge,  but  as  the  hair  is  an  important  feature  in  the 
toilet  of  both  sexes,  this  tendency  is  carefully  kept  out 
of  sight  under  oil  and  a blacking  mixture  lavishly  laid 
on.  There  is  not  the  slightest  tendency  in  the  hair  to 
curl,  and  even  after  it  has  been  in  braid  for  some  days 
there  is  hardly  the  suspicion  of  a wave.  If  there  is 
any  feature  which  suggests  the  common  origin  of  the 
Chinese,  the  Koreans,  the  Japanese,  the  North  Amer- 
ican Indians  and  some  of  the  Esquimaux,  it  is  not  the 
one  so  usually  pointed  out — their  high  cheek-bones — 
but  rather  their  long,  straight,  coarse  black  hair. 
Apropos  of  this,  has  any  one  pointed  out  the  fact  that 
the  North  American  Indians  shave  all  but  the  scalp- 
lock,  as  a suggestion  of  a connection  in  origin  between 
them  and  the  Celestials?  A joker  might  find  room 
for  further  comparison  in  the  Koreans’  habit  of  seiz- 


THE  PEOPLE. 


77 


iDg  the  top-knot  in  a fight.  The  Koreans  in  many 
points  of  physique  seem,  as  in  their  geographical  posi- 
tion, midway  between  the  Chinese  and  Japanese.  They 
are  on  the  average  much  taller  than  the  latter,  and  prob- 
ably do  not  reach  the  average  stature  of  the  former.  In 
color  they  are  not  so  dark  as  the  Japanese,  nor  yet  have 
they  the  dingy  yellow  cast  of  the  Chinese.  Occasion- 
ally one  sees  a native  from  the  country  whose  skin  is  a 
dirty  brown.  Some  of  them  are  quite  fair,  and  white- 
ness of  complexion  is  so  valued  that  the  women  are 
not  a whit  behind  our  Western  belles  in  the  use  of  pow- 
der, which  they  find  ready  to  their  hand  in  the  shape  of 
rice  flour.  There  is,  however,  in  the  case  of  girls — of 
women,  again,  not  much  can  be  said  here — no  tendency 
to  hide  the  use  of  this  beautifier.  This  whitener  is 
put  on  with  lavish  hand  and  quite  often  with  good 
effect.  The  Korean  has  the  oblique  eye,  thus  mark- 
ing his  Mongolian  origin.  The  high  cheek-bone  is 
also  there,  and  a decided  tendency  to  the  flat  nose.  In 
build  the  Koreans  are  generally  sturdy,  and  the  impres- 
sion one  gets  is  that  they  are  a well-developed,  strong 
people.  But  observers  are  often  surprised  to  find  that 
they  do  not  have  the  strength  their  appearance  seems 
to  call  for.  Newcomers  often  call  them  lazy  on  seeing 
the  great  ado  they  make  in  bearing  and  lifting  heavy 
weights.  Many  a time,  until  we  got  used  to  them, 
we  have  become  impatient  at  the  struggles  of  servants 
in  raising  some  article  of  furniture,  and  one  of  us  has 


78 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


lifted  without  unusual  exertion  what  two  of  them 
seemed  to  find  a heavy  burden.  This  weakness  is 
doubtless  real,  not  assumed.  Their  diet  is  largely . 
rice,  and  often  in  times  of  scarcity  not  so  good  as 
that;  lentils  and  millet,  and  even  barley,  furnish 
them  sustenance,  while  in  summer  time  many  a meal 
is  made  on  cucumbers,  skin  and  all,  without  salt ! It 
is  well  known  that  the  rice-eating  peoples  lack  the  den- 
sity and  elasticity  of  muscle  of  the  meat-eating  nations, 
and  so  here  there  is  a reason  much  more  to  the  credit 
of  the  Koreans  than  that  so  often  charged  to  them — 
innate  laziness. 

A reason  has  already  been  suggested  for  the  disin- 
clination of  the  average  Korean  to  work  beyond  a cer- 
tain maximum  in  a given  time. 

A very  common  (and  correct)  report  is  that  women 
are  not  generally  seen  in  the  streets ; that  is,  they  are 
not  at  liberty  to  go  out  as  frequently  and  as  freely  as 
in  our  own  land — at  any  rate,  those  above  the  coolie 
class  are  not.  But  the  accomplished  traveler,  with  his 
usual  perspicacity  and  penetration,  is  often  in  the 
country  only  a few  hours  when  he  discovers  that  the 
report  is  unfounded.  One  gentleman  of  this  class,  on 
his  second  day  in  the  capital,  asked  about  this,  and 
when  he  was  assured  of  the  truth  of  the  statement, 
he  would  not  be  convinced  but  that  there  was  a con- 
spiracy to  make  the  world  believe  an  untruth.  In  a 
walk  about  the  city  he  remarked  on  the  way  back 


THE  PEOPLE. 


79 


that  he  had  seen  many  women  during  the  stroll,  and 
in  confirmation  of  this  pointed  to  a group  just  ahead 
of  us.  The  mistake  was  certainly  excusable,  for  the 
party  was  clad  in  long,  flowing  overgarments,  and 
the  hair  hanging  down  the  back  in  braid  gave  them 
the  appearance  of  women.  This  gentleman  was  con- 
siderably crestfallen  when  he  was  informed  that  the 
supposed  women  were  unmarried  boys,  who  always 
wear  their  hair  in  that  fashion.  The  adult — or,  which 
amounts  to  the  same  thing,  the  married  man — wears  his 
hair  done  up  into  a knot  on  the  top  of  his  head. 

Those  women  whom  we  have  seen — and  women  of 
good  social  position  often  take  service  under  the  for- 
eigners— are  very  much  shorter  than  the  men,  not  ex- 
ceeding the  Japanese  in  stature,  averaging  not  over  five 
feet  two  inches.  They  are  of  heavier  mould  than  their 
Eastern  neighbors,  having  very  solid,  stout  frames, 
seemingly  able  to  endure  any  amount  of  labor.  Those 
whom  I have  seen  were  of  exceedingly  modest  dispo- 
sition. The  type  of  countenance  is  downcast,  heavy 
and  sombre.  In  passing  through  Japan  one  becomes 
accustomed  to  a certain  sprightliuess  in  the  people. 
There  is  nearly  always  present  a pleasing  vivacity,  a 
merry  sparkle,  in  the  eye  of  a Japanese  woman,  which 
calls  up  the  answering  smile.  Life  for  them  seems  a 
game  or  a picnic.  But  from  the  Korean  woman  this 
sprightliness  and  vivacity  and  sparkle  are  absent.  Life 
for  them  is  serious  and  earnest  business.  Hence  sober- 


80 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


ness  is  the  characteristic  feature  of  the  Korean  lady. 
But  this  is  not  the  case  with  the  men.  Nowhere  can 
be  found  a readier  appreciation  of  a joke  than  in  Korea. 
As  an  instance  of  this  may  be  mentioned  the  hilarity 
occasioned  by  the  ‘ success  of  a trap  we  laid  for  a dis- 
honest attendant.  One  of  our  men  had  been  detected 


stealing  wood, 
his  eye,  and  he 
intention  of  taking  it  home  a' 


larly  fine  stick  had  captivated 
Jt^der  the  honse,  with  the 
^ The  place  of 


hiding  was  discovered,  and  at  dusk  a small  string  was 
tied  to  it  and  attached  to  a mat  in  the  dining-room  in 
such  a way  that  the  mat  would  curl  up  as  soon  as  any 
one  attempted  to  remove  the  wood.  The  three  teachers 
waited  patiently  in  the  dining-room,  playing  dominoes, 
until  suddenly  the  mat  began  to  curl,  when  we  rushed 
out  by  the  exits  and  surrounded  the  hole  by  which  the 
man  had  crept  under  the  house.  We  then  called  him 
out  and  summoned  the  other  attendants,  among  whom 
were  three  soldiers.  One  of  these  handcuffed  the  fel- 
low and  awaited  orders.  A search  was  then  instituted 
by  the  servants  to  discover  how  we  knew  what  was 
going  on,  and  we  found  two  or  three  so  overcome  with 
laughter  at  what  they  considered  the  fun  of  the  trap 
that  they  were  literally  rolling  on  the  floor.  For 
weeks  we  heard  of  this  story  being  told  by  our  ser- 
vants to  their  visitors,  and  the  table-boy  could  hardly 
cross  the  threshold  where  the  mat  lay  without  a glance 
at  the  crack  and  a smile  or  chuckle  at  the  stratagem. 


THE  PEOPLE. 


81 


After  a warning  to  the  culprit  not  to  allow  his  cupidity 
to  get  the  best  of  him  again  we  let  him  go ; but  the  les- 
son was  not  lost  on  the  rest  of  the  people  about  the 
place. 

The  Korean  has  the  teasing  capacity  fully  developed. 
The  ahmah  (nurse)  who  cared  for  our  little  boy  was 
somewhat  grasping  in  disposition,  and  often  laid  plans 
for  getting  the  best  of  the  other  domestics.  As  pres- 
ents of  fruit,  beef  and  fish  often  came  to  us  in  greater 
quantities  than  we  could  use  in  the  house,  we  usually  dis- 
tributed the  larger  part  among  the  servants.  One  time 
such  a present  came,  and  among  the  other  things  was 
a peculiar  preparation  of  stuffed  dried  fish.  This  was 
very  tempting  to  the  ahmah,  but  she  was  somewhat  dis- 
gusted and  offended  to  be  told  by  one  of  the  others  that 

that  was  not  good  for  females.^’  The  other  servants 
joined  heartily  in  a laugh  I could  not  suppress  at  the 
disappointed  face  of  the  woman,  while  the  perpetrator 
of  the  joke  smiled  intermittently  for  two  or  three  days 
at  the  recollection. 

Among  the  people  at  large  there  seems  to  be  not  the 
slightest  antipathy  to  foreigners  as  such.  We  hear  in 
the  Korean  peninsula  no  such  names  as  are  applied  to 
men  of  other  climes  by  the  Chinese.  The  name  “for- 
eign devil  never  once  met  my  ears,  nor  in  all  my  inter- 
course with  natives  was  ever  heard  a word  in  any  way 
derogatory  to  foreigners  because  of  their  foreign  birth. 

The  mass  of  the  people  look  up  to  us  as  being  of  supe- 
6 


82 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


rior  powers  and  abilities.  Tales  of  the  achievements  of 
our  fleets,  armies  and  guns  which  do  not  in  any  way 
equal  the  actual  performances  cause  open  mouths  and 
staring  eyes  in  the  listeners.  There  is  no  evidence  that 
with  the  people  aught  but  respect  is  felt  for  visitors. 
While  we  occasionally  hear  tales  of  the  ferocity  and  hate 
of  Koreans  for  foreigners,  we  must  remember  that  such 
feelings  are  sporadic,  and  in  the  periodic  recurrence  of 
these  spasms  on  the  part  of  the  people  we  can  always 
trace  the  fine  hand  of  the  Chinese  “ resident,”  who  is 
at  present,  as  he  has  been  for  years,  the  evil  genius 
among  the  Koreans.  Left  to  themselves,  the  people, 
rulers  and  all,  would  welcome  gradual  and  sensible 
approaches  to  the  ways  of  the  Western  world.  There 
are  among  the  higher  ofiScials  two  parties,  conservatives 
and  liberals,  the  former  opposed  to,  the  latter  favor- 
ing, a tendency  in  the  direction  that  Japan  has  taken. 
Among  the  former  the  Chinese  work,  and  so  they  man- 
age to  retard  Korea’s  advance. 

The  masses  in  the  country  are  exceedingly  credulous 
and  excitable.  They  have  most  curious  notions  about 
the  ways  and  doings  of  foreigners.  As  a consequence, 
reports  concerning  them,  no  matter  how  absurd  they 
may  be,  find  a ready  lodgment  in  the  ears  of  the  peo- 
ple. The  Chinese,  since  the  Koreans  have  looked  so 
readily  toward  Western  civilization,  seem  to  have  re- 
pented urging  them  to  open  up  the  peninsula,  and  so 
in  all  possible  ways  except  that  of  open  coercion  have 


THE  PEOPLE. 


83 


endeavored  to  impede  the  Koreans’  progress.  The 
Chinese  ambassador,  or  resident,”  as  he  calls  him- 
self, is  heart  and  hand  en  rapport  with  this  policy  of 
obstruction.  Consequently,  by  all  arts  and  devices,  in 
which  he  is  an  adept,  he  endeavors  to  combat  the  tend- 
ency toward  opening  up  the  country.  For  instance, 
in  the  summer  of  1888,  it  was  found  that  some  boys 
had  been  stolen  and  sold  into  slavery.  This  is  an  act 
not  often  accomplished,  but  it  is  done  sometimes. 
There  was  an  excitement  quite  widespread  at  the  time, 
and  the  Chinaman  spoken  of  above  fanned  the  spark 
into  a flame  of  excitement  by  subtly  spreading  abroad 
the  report,  first,  that  the  Japanese  had  bought  the  chil- 
dren and  cooked  and  eaten  them,  then  that  the  foreigners 
bought  them  to  make  medicine,  and  then  that  the  eyes 
of  the  victims  were  used  in  making  photographs.  As 
the  pages  of  this  book  testify,  the  author  was  a dabbler 
in  photography,  and  this  report  was  brought  to  his  ears. 
The  capital  was  in  a ferment  of  excitement ; the  popu- 
lace scowled  from  beneath  lowering  eyebrows  whenever 
foreigners  were  seen  in  the  town.  Natives  were  mobbed, 
and  in  two  or  three  cases  stamped  to  death  by  a crowd 
when  some  mischief-maker  cried  out,  There  goes  a 
child-stealer !”  In  one  case  a man  leading  his  own 
child  down  the  main  street  was  attacked  because  of 
such  a cry,  and  only  escaped  by  appealing  to  a petty 
official  who  chanced  near  by,  and  then  by  being  taken 
before  the  chief  justice  of  the  city.  Even  after  the  man 


84 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


was  proved  innoceDt  before  the  judge,  and  had  brought 
conviucing  testimony  that  the  child  was  his  own,  the 
mob  remained  sullen  and  threatening,  and  chai'ged  that 
the  judge  was  in  league  with  those  who  were  stealing 
children  for  the  foreigners,  and  also  with  the  foreigners 
themselves.  The  passion  raged  so  violently  that  the 
king  issued  a proclamation  saying  that  the  reports  were 
false,  and  commanded  quiet.  Even  this  had  no  effect, 
and  in  the  course  of  a day  or  two  it  was  followed  by  a 
stern  edict  that  any  one  caught  circulating  such  reports 
should  be  immediately  arrested  and  punished,  and 
that  all  disorder  should  be  immediately  repressed. 
Meanwhile,  threats  of  all  sorts  had  been  made  against 
the  foreigners.  The  Koreans  in  the  service  of  for- 
eigners were  menaced,  and  in  one  case  mobbed. 
Threats  were  made  that  the  houses  of  all  not  natives 
should  be  burned.  Some  of  the  foreigners  were  so 
scared  by  these  threats  that  they  packed  a few  most 
necessary  belongings,  procured  ropes  and  hooks  with 
which  to  scale  the  wall  should  that  become  necessary, 
and  were  ready  to  move  at  a moment’s  warning  toward 
the  seaport  thirty  miles  away.  The  writer,  knowing 
well  the  cowardly  character  of  the  people,  took  each 
night  a few  extra  precautions,  ortlered  that  the  large 
street  gate  should  not  be  opened  after  night  until  after 
careful  reconnoitring,  and  then  slept  in  peace.  He  was 
known  by  the  Koreans  to  be  in  possession  of  what  they 
especially  dread — a repeating  rifle  and  heavy  revolver, 


THE  PEOPLE. 


85 


and  consequently  no  visit  was  anticipated  from  hostile 
or  marauding  parties.  In  less  than  ten  days  the  excite- 
ment subsided,  and  where  a few  days  before  angry  crowds 
had  congregated  there  were  to  be  seen  only  the  usual 
number  of  laughing,  happy-go-lucky  loungers,  mer- 
chants and  purchasers.  It  must  be  remembered,  how- 
ever, that  as  a contributing  cause  to  fearlessness  on  the 
part  of  foreigners  there  Avas  the  knowledge  that  very 
few  Koreans  possess  firearms.  These  are  contraband 
articles,  and  by  treaty  stipulation  they  are  not  allowed 
to  be  sold  to  the  natives.  As  the  customs  are  admin- 
istered by  foreigners,  it  will  easily  be  seen  that  very 
few  can  be  gotten  into  the  country,  so  that  the  offen- 
sive weapons  are  confined  mainly  to  arrows,  spears  and 
swords,  while  the  Korean  muskets,  almost  entirely  in 
the  hands  of  the  soldiers,  are  either  flint-locks  or 
match-locks,  and  hence  not  very  dangerous. 

Koreans  have  a wholesome  fear  of  an  armed  foreigner ; 
hence  it  would  be  no  feat  at  all  in  times  of  excitement 
for  one  well-armed  and  resolute  man  to  keep  a whole 
street  clear ; and  he  could  doubtless  easily  put  to  flight 
a large  band  of  evil-disposed  persons.  These  traits  of 
excitability  and  credulity  of  course  do  not  argue  well 
for  the  development  of  the  people.  Their  existence 
suggests  that  it  might  be  possible  for  the  nation  to 
make  considerable  progress  in  Western  ways,  and  then 
in  a single  term  of  excitement  to  upset  and  nullify  all 
the  advance  that  had  been  made.  On  the  other  hand, 


86 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


there  is  the  reflection  that  the  Koreans  can  scarcely  be 
more  fickle  than  the  Japanese,  and  that  even  now  the 
latter  people  are  not  beyond  mobbing  an  inoffensive 
foreigner  on  the  very  slightest  grounds,  as  was  shown 
in  the  spring  of  1890.  Those  who  have  been  longest 
in  the  country,  however,  think  that  there  is  a closer 
approximation  to  the  Chinese  steadiness  than  to  the 
Japanese  flightiness,  and  that  there  is  an  undercurrent 
of  good  sense  which  will  carry  the  people  to  a high 
level  of  national  life. 

Another  trait  which  is  peculiarly  Korean  is  curiosity. 
In  that  peninsula  this  trait  is  by  no  means  exclusively 
feminine.  It  is  a question  whether  the  men  are  not 
more  infected  with  it  than  the  women.  Of  course, 
foreigners  are  as  yet  a curiosity.  Especially  is  this 
true  of  the  ladies.  Consequently,  when  foreigners, 
especially  if  ladies  are  in  the  company,  start  for  a 
stroll  with  sightseeing  or  shopping  as  a purpose,  they 
are  often  followed  by  a crowd  varying  from  a half 
dozen  to  more  than  a score  of  persons,  all  good-natured, 
though  they  often  crowd  a little  too  closely  for  comfort. 
Every  motion  is  watched,  commented  upon,  and  each 
attempt  to  speak  the  language  is  greeted  with  a smile 
of  approval  and  appreciation.  The  freedom  allowed 
our  ladies  and  their  unconcern  when  under  the  scru- 
tiny of  many  eyes  is  the  subject  of  much  remark. 
Especially  interesting  to  Koreans  is  an  attempt  to 
make  a purchase,  and  articles  which  to  them  seem 


THE  PEOPLE. 


87 


almost  valueless  are  often  picked  up  by  these  crazy 
foreigners.’^  The  consequence  is  that  merchants  bring 
all  sorts  of  things  to  the  houses  to  be  sold,  and  for 
trifles  which  have  no  value  whatever  they  sometimes 
ask  astonishing  prices;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  really 
valuable  articles  are  picked  up  for  a mere  song.  But 
these  visits  are  made  the  occasions  of  satisfying  a desire 
to  know  how  foreigners  live,  and  many  a surreptitious 
peep  through  half-opened  doors  is  indulged  in  while 
some  really  interesting  article  is  being  examined.  The 
servants  who  are  employed  in  the  foreign  quarter  are 
questioned  as  to  the  goings  on  inside  the  strangers’ 
homes.  On  certain  days  in  the  year  women  flock  in 
crowds  sightseeing,  and  one  goal  of  their  desire  is  the 
inside  of  the  houses  of  the  Mee-kooJc  saram  (Americans). 
Some  of  the  Americans,  especially  the  missionaries, 
throw  open  a part  of  their  houses  to  inspection.  This 
is  undoubtedly  a wise  procedure.  Korean  homes  are 
very  bare  of  what  we  regard  as  comforts,  and  probably 
in  no  way  can  the  superiority  of  our  civilization  be  so 
closely  brought  home  to  the  people  as  by  showing  them 
how  much  it  adds  to  our  comfort.  Certainly  it  looks 
like  an  effective  argument  to  say  to  Confucians  and 
Buddhists,  Our  religion  is  superior  to  yours  in  this, 
if  in  nothing  else,  that  it  has  developed  higher  comforts 
and  made  possible  a higher  enjoyment  of  life.”  Mere 
contact  with  foreigners  often  produces  a wonderful 
change  in  the  ways  of  looking  at  things.  I had  as 


88 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


teacher  a wonderfully  neat  and  very  gentlemanly  little 
Korean.  He  came  regularly,  and  appeared  astonished  at 
nothing  he  saw.  After  visiting  me  during  about  three 
months,  he  one  day  surprised  me  by  asking  if  he  might 
bring  his  wife  to  see  our  house  and  its  furnishings.  This 
request  was  a strange  one,  as  will  appear  later.  When  he 
first  came  to  the  house,  had  such  a thing  been  suggested, 
it  would  possibly  have  been  deemed  an  insult,  and  not 
improbably  would  have  caused  a cessation  of  his  visits. 
Yet  his  association  with  such  foreigners  as  he  saw  at  our 
home  (the  teachers  of  the  royal  school  and  their  visitors) 
showed  him  that  no  possible  harm  could  result  from  a 
visit  by  his  wife.  Accordingly,  one  day  he  brought 
her,  and  a very  cunning  little  body  she  proved  to  be 
— unsophisticated,  astonished  at  all  she  saw  and  ever 
ready  to  laugh.  She  and  her  husband  took  luncheon 
with  us,  and  while  she  did  not  partake  of  the  staple 
articles  of  diet,  she  showed  her  appreciation  of  fruit, 
cakes  and  nuts,  receiving  them  with  charming  modesty 
from  the  fingers  of  her  husband.  Before  she  left  wg 
secured  a photograph  of  herself  and  husband  sitting 
side  by  side,  which  is  presented  herewith.  Rare  indeed 
are  the  pictures  of  a lady  of  the  yang-han  (noble) 
class. 

Koreans  are  wretchedly  poor;  poor  not  merely  ac- 
cording to  our  standard,  but  judged  by  one  much  lower. 
One  gauge  of  this  poverty  is  afforded  by  their  scale  of 
wages.  For  work  done  about  the  foreigners’  houses  by 


THE  PEOPLE. 


89 


laborers,  such  as  labor  in  the  garden,  the  usual  day’s 
wages  is  about  twelve  and  a half  to  fifteen  cents, 
Skilled  laborers,  carpenters  and  masons,  get  twenty- 
five  cents  a day.  These  latter  after  their  day’s  work 
is  done  wash  and  put  on  their  clean  robes,  and  strut 
down  the  street  with  the  gait  of  noblemen,  rejoicing 
in  their  easy  way  of  living  and  their  abundant  means. 
Even  at  this  rate  of  wages  they  rarely  work  more 
than  four  days  in  a week.  Sewing-women  and  nurses 
get  four  dollars  a month;  gatemen,  who  mind  the 
gate,  cut  and  carry  wood  and  fetch  coal,  get  three 
to  four  dollars;  all  the  servants  ^^find  themselves.” 
Washing  is  done  for  three  cents  a piece.  But  a for- 
eigner finds  that  it  takes  a number  of  people  about  the 
house  -to  keep  the  work  going.  Comparatively  large 
establishments  are  necessary  there,  since  each  servant 
will  perform  only  a certain  line  of  duty. 

Another  characteristic  of  Koreans  is  a love  of  country. 
They  yield  not  even  to  the  Swiss  in  their  intense  patriot- 
ism. This  was  strikingly  brought  out  in  a case  which 
came  under  our  immediate  observation.  When  we 
arrived  in  Japan,  in  1886,  we  learned  that  Kim  Ok 
Kiun,  the  man  who  was  at  the  head  of  the  govern- 
ment at  the  time  of  the  emeute  in  1884,  and  who 
was  charged  with  directing  it,  was  staying  in  Yoko- 
hama. We  had  an  interview  with  him  shortly  after 
our  arrival,  though  this  fact  did  not  become  known 
to  Koreans  while  we  were  in  the  peninsula.  Staying 


90 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


at  the  hotel  with  us  was  another  Korean,  who  was  sel- 
dom seen  and  who  hardly  ever  left  his  room.  We  were 
surprised  soon  to  find  that  the  hotel  was  guarded,  and 
the  Japanese  police  officers  were  so  stationed  that  no 
one  could  leave  the  house  without  being  seen.  Subse- 
quently we  learned  that  this  Korean  had  come  over 
with  the  intention  of  assassinating  Kim  Ok  Kiun, 
and  the  suspicion  was  that  he  was  commissioned  by 
the  government,  of  course  secretly,  to  accomplish  that 
design.  At  any  rate,  the  Japanese  government  appre- 
hended him,  and  sent  him  back  to  Korea  under  guard, 
delivering  him  to  the  officials  of  his  own  government. 
Of  course  every  one  who  knew  the  methods  of  Oriental 
governments  of  the  Korean  type  suspected  that  he  was 
going  to  his  death,  and  doubtless  so  did  he.  The  fact 
that  he  had  compromised  his  government  would  cer- 
tainly produce  that  result.  Notwithstanding  that,  as 
soon  as  we  came  in  sight  of  Korean  shores  he  mani- 
fested his  delight  in  ways  beyond  mistaking,  and  when 
we  dropped  anchor  in  Chemulpo  harbor  he  came  to  us, 
and,  pointing  to  the  town,  said  in  English  (the  only  words 
he  knew  in  that  language,  and  which  he  had  learned  from 
his  Japanese  guards),  ^^My  country.  I very  glad.” 
We  never  heard  of  him  after  that.  At  another  time, 
when  some  tumblers  and  trickster  exhibited  themselves 
at  our  compound,  they  were  asked  whether,,  if  ]\Ir. 
Barnum  would  engage  them  ^^for  much  money,”  they 
would  go  to  America  for  a year.  The  reply  was, 


THE  PEOPLE. 


91 


Very  many,  many  thanks.  But  they  could  not  leave 
their  country,  for  they  would  die  of  homesickness.” 
So  when  Mr.  Yi  was  first  secretary  of  the  Korean 
legation  at  Washington,  he  found  life  away  from  home 
insupportable,  and  obtained  leave  to  return. 

Travelers  have  often  spoken  of  the  childlikeness 
of  Koreans.  This  comes  out  in  their  dealings  with 
children.  They  are  peculiarly  susceptible  to  flattery. 
Tell  a Korean  that  you  know  he  is  a nice  fellow,  and 
you  are  sure  he  will  do  something  you  want  him  to  do, 
and  the  chances  are  that  he  will  do  it.  When  foreign- 
ers first  began  to  settle,  natives  were  not  at  all  bashful  in 
asking  for  whatever  took  their  fancy.  Dr.  Allen  used 
to  receive  calls  from  Prince  Min  Yong  Ik  after  the 
latter  had  recovered  from  his  wounds.  On  one  occa- 
sion the  doctor’s  rubber  boots  were  in  sight,  and  the 
prince  asked  what  was  their  purpose  and  use.  He 
was  informed,  and  immediately  asked  the  doctor  to 
give  them  to  him.  They  w'ere  the  only  pair  the  doctor 
had,  but  he  did  not  think  it  polite  to  refuse,  so  he  sent 
them  to  Min  Yong  Ik’s  house.  Next  day  the  boots 
were  returned  with  the  statement  that  they  did  not 
fit,  and  Please  send  a better  pair.”  Of  course,” 
said  the  doctor,  when  telling  the  story,  ^^he  did  not 
get  any.” 

The  vice  of  the  Chinese,  opium-eating  or  smoking,  is 
extremely  rare.  The  properties  of  the  drug  are  known. 
One  of  the  scholars  in  the  school  once  remarked  that 


92 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


it  was  very  Dice,  but  it  cost  too  much  mouey  for 
Koreans  to  buy  it.”  There  is  no  likelihood  of  its 
becoming  common  among  the  people. 

The  people  have  been  much  maligned  in  the  matter 
of  cleanliness.  In  the  East  one  learns  to  beware  of 
aphorisms.  Foreigners  like  to  be  witty  at  the  expense 
of  natives.  So  an  Englishman  was  once  heard  to  say 
that  the  dirtiest  man  he  ever  saw  was  a clean  Korean. 
The  impression  the  speaker  meant  to  convey  was  that 
Koreans  are  the  dirtiest  people  on  earth.  It  must  be 
kept  in  mind  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  peninsula  dress 
in  light  clothing,  cotton  such  as  we  use  for  sheeting 
being  a staple.  It  follows  that  their  clothing  is  easily 
soiled.  A man  starting  away  in  the  morning  with 
freshly-laundried  clothes  may  return  at  night  with 
these  clothes  in  a disreputable  condition.  In  the  mat- 
ter of  raiment,  bearing  in  mind  the  material  of  which 
clothing  is  made,  it  does  not  appear  that  Koreans  are  un- 
usually uncleanly.  Boys’  clothes  are  apt  to  become  very 
dirty,  especially  the  collars  and  backs  of  their  tunics  or 
coats.  The  hair  is  anointed  with  a blackened  oil  to  make 
it  glossy,  and  as  it  hangs  down  the  back,  it  naturally 
causes  discoloration  of  the  clothing.  But  boys  there 
are  not  more  careless  than  elsewhere,  and  the  same 
is  to  a great  extent  true  of  adults.  The  few  women 
who  are  seen  on  the  street  are  nearly  always  exquisitely 
neat  in  appearance.  Their  shoes  are  whitened,  their 
socks  are  white  as  snow,  their  trousers  hang  spotless 


THE  PEOPLE. 


93 


below  the  skirts,  while  the  latter  shine  in  the  sun  and 
the  coat  seldom  shows  a stain.  In  winter  the  appear- 
ance is  less  prepossessing.  AVinter  clothing  is  made  by 
laying  cotton  between  two  layers  of  cotton,  linen  or  silk 
material  and  quilting  it.  As  the  cleansing  of  garments 
made  in  this  way  involves  taking  them  apart,  naturally 
winter  garments  are  worn  longer  before  washing.  At 
that  season  Koreans  often  present  a filthy  appearance. 
Their  purses  do  not  allow  of  the  purchase  of  woollen 
goods,  and  underclothes  such  as  we  wear  are  unknown. 
In  fact,  wool  is  not  produced  in  the  peninsula. 

Koreans  are  subject  to  about  the  same  ailments  that 
affect  the  rest  of  mankind,  but  malaria  is  one  of  the 
most  common  troubles.  This  results  partly  from  the 
imperfect  sewerage,  which  has  become  clogged  and 
ineffective,  and  partly  from  the  existence  of  ill-drained 
rice-paddies,  which  are  found  everywhere.  The  in- 
troduction of  quinine  has  had  a beneficial  effect  on  the 
inhabitants  of  the  capital  and  vicinity,  for  very  many 
have  discovered  its  qualities  and  use  it  extensively.  The 
people  suffer  greatly  from  cholera  in  seasons  when  it 
appears  in  the  country.  The  reason  for  this  has  been 
given  in  the  description  of  the  wells.  A great  abettor 
of  this  disease  is  found  in  the  summer  diet  of  the  people, 
as  green  cucumbers,  eaten  often  rind  and  all,  furnish  not 
seldom  the  sole  substance  of  a meal.  Night  soil  is  never 
disinfected,  and  is  carried  from  the  cities  on  the  backs 
of  ponies  or  oxen  in  network  bags  to  the  farm  lands 


94 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


and  there  used  as  a fertilizer.  One  great  difficulty  which 
doctors  experience  in  their  practice  among  the  people 
is  the  dislike  and  distrust  of  foreign  medicine.  Many 
a death  has  been  due  directly  to  the  women’s  obstinacy 
in  refusing  or  neglecting  to  administer  the  prescription 
left  by  the  doctor.  In  one  case  which  came  under  our 
immediate  notice  a Korean  was  attacked  by  the  cholera. 
Drs.  Allen  and  Heron  prescribed  for  him,  and  he  was 
fairly  on  the  road  to  recovery.  But  his  wife  one  day 
disappeared,  and  it  was  learned  subsequently  that  she 
had  gone  to  a native  fortune-teller  or  sorcerer  for  medi- 
cine, after  hiding  or  throwing  away  what  medicine  the 
doctors  had  given  and  which  had  done  so  much  good. 
A day  or  two  elapsed  before  her  absence  and  its  mean- 
ing came  to  light ; the  man  had  a relapse,  and  when  his 
wife  returned  he  was  dead  and  buried  ! The  superstition 
of  the  people  and  the  fear  of  sorcery  on  the  part  of 
native  doctors  causes  much  of  this  trouble,  but  as  the 
beneficence  and  ability  of  our  physicians  become  more 
widely  known  the  superstition  and  opposition  will  vanish. 

The  pharmacopoeia  is  Chinese.  Ginseng  does  not 
play  so  large  a part  as  in  China,  because  it  is  too 
costly.  It  is  safe,  however,  to  say  that  foreigners  had 
better  suffer  from  almost  any  disease  than  take  a Korean 
remedy.  For  example,  for  some  complaints  tigers’  claws 
are  a specific.  But  as  knowledge  of  the  cures  American 
physicians  have  wrought  spreads,  the  people  are  coming 
to  have  more  confidence  in  them.  They  often  have 


THE  PEOPLE. 


95 


queer  notions  of  medicine.  This  comes  out  in  the 
treatment  of  the  royal  family.  After  Dr.  Allen  had 
left  the  country  the  queen  was  once  taken  ill.  Her  case 
was  diagnosed  and  some  medicine  was  prepared.  But 
news  came  back  from  the  palace  that  the  medicine  sent 
was  not  right.  Dr.  Allen  had  treated  the  case  before, 
and  the  medicine  he  gave  was  of  such  a color  and 
taste,  and  was  contained  in  a bottle  of  such  a shape. 
Please  send  some  more  of  that.’’  The  consequence 
is  that  a careful  memorandum  has  to  be  made  of  the 
flavor  which  disguises  the  medicine,  of  the  color  of  the 
compound  and  the  shape  of  the  bottle.  Evidently  Her 
Majesty  believed  that  the  bottle  was  a part  of  the 
treatment. 

During  the  cholera  season  the  foreigners  sometimes 
gave  their  ailing  servants  doses  of  brandy.  As  a con- 
sequence pains  sometimes  became  frequent  amongst  the 
servants.  One  fellow’s  pains  became  almost  chronic, 
and  every  few  days  he  would  appear  in  great  distress. 
Heroic  measures  seemed  necessary,  so  a dose  of  asafoetida 
was  compounded,  and  it  was  supposed  that  one  trial 
would  be  enough.  We  gathered  at  the  windows  to 
see  him  make  a wry  face,  but  he,  suspecting  nothing 
and  detecting  nothing  amiss,  swallowed  the  potion  at  a 
gulp,  and  then,  while  a smile  brightened  his  face,  re- 
marked, Cho-o-o-sim-nida ” {Very  good).  His  con- 
fidence in  the  medicine  of  the  foreigners  was  by  no 
means  abated. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


DOMESTIC  LIFE. 

TT  is  in  the  social  life  of  the  Koreans  that  we  find  the 
• greatest  contrast  with  our  own  institutions.  The  key 
of  Korean  life  lies  in  the  seclusion  of  its  w’omen.  As 
one  passes  through  the  streets  or  along  the  roads  one  sees 
very  few  females.  Most  of  those  who  are  met  wear 
what  does  duty  as  a veil — a light  coat  of  some  kind, 
generally  of  green  silk,  sleeves  and  all,  which  is  cast 
over  the  head,  and,  when  men  are  met,  is  drawn  tightly 
over  the  face,  so  that  only  the  eyes,  sometimes  only  one 
eye,  perliaps  not  even  so 'much  as  that,  can  be  seen  ; and 
often  the  wearer  is  so  exceedingly  basliful  that  she  not 
only  takes  this  precaution,  but  also  turns  her  back  to  the 
street  and  her  face  to  the  wall  of  the  houses  along  the 
way.  But  whenever  I met  a female  thus  coy  and  bashful, 
I have  always  felt  that  one  thing  would  surely  happen 
— that,  as  soon  as  she  thought  I was  fairly  piist,  her 
curiosity  would  get  the  better  of  her  bashful  ness,  and 
she  would  throw  oif  all  restraint,  to  see  how  the  for- 
eign stranger  was  made  up.  Accordingly,  after  pass- 
ing her  a few  steps,  I would,  if  feeling  a little  mis- 
chievous, cast  a quick  glance  over  my  shoulder,  and 
96 


Peasants’  Huts. 


iifX- 


DOMESTIC  LIFE. 


97 


catch  the  lady  iu  the  act,  generally  with  her  face  entirely 
exposed,  gazing  with  both  her  eyes  at  the  foreigner  in 
his  queer  garb.  Of  course  my  glance  back  would  dis- 
concert her  and  send  her  scurrying  off  in  the  opposite 
direction. 

Quite  a number  of  women  in  the  city  will  be  seen 
with  no  covering  whatever  on  the  head ; and  inquiry 
would  elicit  the  explanation  that  very  many  of  these 
are  proprietors  of  or  purveyors  to  the  restaurants,  and 
that  for  the  sake  of  getting  the  money  they  go  with 
face  uncovered.  In  the  country  there  is  less  restraint 
than  in  the  city  in  this  respect.  Women  going  to  the 
city  may  sometimes  be  seen  along  the  road  with  their 
coats  neatly  folded  and  carried  on  the  top  of  the  head, 
but  as  they  approach  the  city  the  coats  are  unfolded  and 
the  head  is  covered.  Among  the  peasantry,  too,  the 
rule  for  the  veiling  of  women  is  less  strenuously  insisted 
on  ; but  the  fact  remains  that  the  custom  is  for  women 
not  to  be  seen.  The  truth  of  this  is  especially  seen  in 
the  arrangement  of  their  houses. 

The  typical  form  of  a Korean  house  of  the  peasant 
class  is  that  of  a horse-shoe,  along  one  side  of  which 
runs  the  street,  the  street  door  near  one  heel,  and  the 
women’s  apartments  in  the  other  wing,  or  near  the 
other  heel  of  the  shoe.  The  apartments  are  arranged 
around  the  open  court,  so  that  the  horse-shoe  represents 
very  accurately  the  plan  of  a Korean  house.  The  typi- 
cal plan  of  the  house  and  grounds  of  a rich  man  is  as 

r 


98 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


follows ; Along  the  street  is  built  a row  of  buildings, 
generally  eight  feet  wide  (eight  feet  is  the  unit  of  meas- 
ure in  building  a house),  which  are  occupied  by  servants 
or  used  as  outhouses  for  stores  of  wood,  etc.  Sometimes 
these  outhouses  are  extended  around  two  sides  of  the 
enclosure,  and  even  a third  side  may  be  occupied  by 
them,  being  shut  in  from  the  rest  of  the  enclosure  by 
a wall,  making  several  small  yards,  each  with  its  little 
set  of  houses  or  rooms.  These  are  occupied  by  the  ser- 
vants, male  and  female,  who  are  kept  on  the  place.  The 
part  of  the  lot  unenclosed  by  outhouses  is  shut  from  the 
world  by  a wall  five  and  a half  or  six  feet  in  height.  I 
have  it  on  good  authority  that  it  is  a penal  offence  for  a 
peasant  to  look  over  the  wall  of  a nobleman’s  grounds. 
The  house  of  the  master  is  placed  toward  the  rear,  and  is 
built  in  the  shape  of  a square  or  oblong  figure  around  a 
hollow  space,  which  is  in  area  generally  about  a square 
rod.  The  apartments  of  the  women  are  in  the  rear, 
and  there  or  in  the  inner  court  they  pass  the  most  of 
their  time. 

The  cardinal  point  of  social  etiquette  is  that  the 
ladies  of  a household  are  not  to  be  seen,  and,  so  far 
as  convereation  about  them  is  concerned,  are  not  sup- 
posed to  exist.  Consequently,  when  a visitor  makes 
a call  on  a friend,  he  is  not  taken  in  and  introduced  to 
the  wife  or  wdves  and  daughters  of  his  host.  The  guest- 
room and  reception-rooms  are  either  apart  from  the 
house,  inside  the  second  court,  or  in  front  of  the  host’s 


DOMESTIC  LIFE. 


99 


own  residence.  In  the  latter  case  no  windows  or  doors 
look  in  upon  the  inner  court  or  toward  the  women’s 
apartments.  The  visitor  is  met  in  the  front  by  his 
host,  is  there  entertained,  and  in  his  conversation  does 
not,  unless  he  is  a near  relation  or  on  the  closest  terms 
of  intimacy,  allude  to  the  ladies  of  the  house.  It  fol- 
lows from  this  that  the  make-up  of  social  life  in  Korea 
is  entirely  different  from  what  it  is  in  the  West.  The 
factor  which  plays  so  large  a part  in  our  life,  the  re- 
fining influence  of  woman,”  is  there  altogether  wanting. 
Young  folks  and  old,  young  ladies  and  gentlemen,  do  not 
meet  together  for  social  recreation  and  quiet  games  in 
the  evening.  Parties  of  both  sexes,  made  up  for  enjoy- 
ment, do  not  gather  round  the  fireside  to  pass  away  the 
time  in  winter.  One  never  sees  a family  picnic  party 
— father,  mother,  sons,  daughters  and  friends — start- 
ing away  to  pass  the  day  rambling  on  the  hills  or 
boating  on  the  river.  A picnic  party  may  go  on  the 
river,  but  if  the  mother  go  along,  she  is  in  an  enclosed 
boat,  and  her  enjoyment  is  not  for  the  spectator  to 
witness. 

So,  too,  the  institution  which  passes  among  us  in  the 
country  under  the  homely  name  of  courting”  is  not 
known  in  Korea.  A young  man  there  does  not  choose 
the  partner  of  his  joys  and  the  sharer  of  his  woes,  nor 
does  the  young  woman  have  a voice  in  the  selection  of 
a husband.  She  may  have  caught  a glimpse  of  him 
through  a hole  in  the  window  as  he  passed  along  the 


100 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


street,  but  he  never  knows  how  she  looks,  except  from 
the  description  of  his  mother  or  other  female  relation, 
till  he  sees  her  on  the  wedding-day.  The  arrange- 
ment is  a family  matter,  managed  by  the  father.  The 
method  is  somewhat  as  follows ; A father,  his  son  hav- 
ing reached  a marriageable  age — 14  to  16 — decides  that 
the  latter  ought  to  settle  down.  Accordingly,  he  runs 
over  the  list  of  his  acquaintances  whom  he  knows  to 
have  marriageable  daughters,  and  decides  upon  the  fam- 
ily to  which  he  will  make  overtures ; having  got  so  far, 
he  may  talk  the  matter  over  with  his  wife,  and,  having 
found  her  acquiescent,  will  rise  some  morning,  don  his 
best  apparel  and  saunter  down  the  street.  The  word 
saunter  is  used  advisedly,  for  a Korean  is  seldom  in  a 
hurry.  The  old  proverb  so  much  quoted  among  Occi- 
dentals, Never  put  off  till  to-morrow  what  you  can 
do  to-day takes  another  shape  in  the  Korean  mind. 
It  would  probably  run  thus  if  it  were  formulated : 
Never  do  to-day  what  can  be  put  off  till  to-mor- 
row.’’ If  a thing  is  not  done  to-day— why,  there 
are  other  days  coming;  and  if  there  should  not  be 
another  day,  it  doesn’t  matter  any  way.”  Conse- 
quently, the  father  saunters  leisurely  along,  saluting 
his  acquaintances,  stopping  to  discuss  this  matter  or 
that,  till  he  reaches  the  home  of  his  friend.  There 
he  is  welcomed  by  his  host,  who,  noting  the  holiday 
garb,  has  probably  surmised  the  object  of  the  visit. 
Westerners  would  probably  come  immediately  to  the 


DOMESTIC  LIFE. 


101 


purpose  in  mind,  but  not  so  the  Korean.  He  will  talk 
all  around  the  subject;  real  estate  transfers,  the  price 
of  living,  the  last  famine,  the  cholera,  the  feats  of  for- 
eign ships  of  %var,  the  state  of  the  market,  all  may  come 
under  discussion.  And  when  there  is  a lull  in  the  con- 
versation, the  remark  may  fall  as  if  casually  : “ By  the 
way,  I have  a son,  a good-for-nothing  fellow,  wdiom  I 
want  to  see  settled  in  life.’^  Ah,  is  that  so  says  the 
host.  I hope  you  will  have  the  satisfaction  of  seeing 
him  well  married  and  a suitable  wife  attending  to  his 
'svants.’^  Then  the  conversation  'wanders  ofP  on  any 
topic  that  suggests  itself.  After  more  or  less  time,  if 
the  host  thinks  favorably  of  what  is  in  fact  (and  is  so 
understood)  a proposal,  he  will  perhaps  be  heard  to  re- 
mark, “ Do  you  know,  it  seems  like  a providence,  your 
coming  here  to-day  ? It  just  happens  that  I have  a mar- 
riageable daughter,  and  perhaps  you  were  directed  here. 
Mayhap  my  daughter,  who  is  a no-account  girl,  might 
be  taught  her  duty  to  your  sou.”  And  from  that  the 
two  fathers  may  proceed  to  make  the  arrangements, 
after  which  the  visitor  goes  home  and  tells  his  son 
that  a wife  has  been  found  for  him  and  that  he  will 
be  married  on  such  a date.  A^isits  are  now  in  order 
betw^een  the  women  of  the  two  families,  and  the  details 
are  arranged,  and  of  course  the  mother  tells  her  son  the 
appearance  of  his  bride,  expatiating  on  her  good  points 
— her  modesty,  beauty,  docility,  obedience  and  so  on. 
The  young  man  now  takes  a step  upward  in  the  social 


102 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


scale.  He  is  dow  becoming  a man,  so  he  no  longer 
wears  his  hair  down  his  back  in  a braid,  but  has  a lit- 
tle place  shaved  at  the  crown  and  the  rest  of  his  hair 
done  up  in  a knot  on  the  top.  He  may  now  wear  the 
black  hat  and  begin  to  assume  the  deliberate  step  and 
dignified  manners  of  an  adult.  He  must  now  be  ad- 
dressed in  honorific  language.  He  may  use  ‘Mow 
talk’^  to  his  boy  companions  of  yesterday.  He  is 
now  a “Mr.,’’  and  is  to  be  treated  with  becoming 
respect.  Of  the  customs  attending  the  celebration  of 
the  marriage  I cannot  speak,  except  that  etiquette  de- 
mands that  during  the  wedding-day  the  girl-wife — 
girls  are  married  at  the  age  of  from  13  to  15  years — 
must  not  speak  to  her  husband  after  the  salutations,  at 
the  risk  of  hearing  it  as  a reproach  in  after-life.  But 
the  young  Korean  has  as  much  mischief  in  him  as  the 
young  men  of  any  other  part  of  the  world,  and  so  it  has 
become  a custom  for  the  newly-married  man  to  try  and 
extort  from  his  bride  some  word  of  expostulation  or  re- 
proach which  may  be  held  as  a lash  over  her  head  in  any 
stormy  days  of  matrimony.  Consequently,  some  portion 
of  the  time  between  engagement  and  marriage  is  spent  in 
conjuring  up  tricks  of  speech  and  manner  to  tantalize  and 
surprise  some  words  from  the  bride’s  mouth.  Sometimes 
the  youth  gets  more  than  he  bargained  for.  There  is 
a story  almost  as  widely  spread  in  Korea  as  the  George 
Washington’s  hatchet  tale  in  the  United  States,  to  the 
eifect  that  a bright  youth  had  devised  some  particu- 


DOMESTIC  LIFE. 


103 


larly  teasing  speeches  with  which  to  regale  his  wife  on 
that  first  day,  and  he  was  unwilling  that  the  fun  to 
result  should  be  confined  to  himself.  So  he  placed 
a number  of  his  friends  in  a room  where  they  could 
hear,  but  of  course  could  not  see,  what  was  going 
on.  He  then  proceeded  to  apply  the  torture,  and  he 
was  so  successful  that  the  girl,  after  enduring  bravely 
for  a long  time  all  the  taunts  and  sneers  and  persiflage 
he  could  bring  to  bear,  was  at  last  stung  into  calling 
him  such  a name  that  it  covered  him  with  confusion 
and  stuck  to  him  through  life.  After  the  marriage  the 
girl  is  carried  to  her  husband’s  home  in  a closed  chair 
with  a leopard-  or  tiger-skin  covering  it,  and  takes  her 
place  in  the  family  of  her  husband.  She  no  longer  has 
any  ties  connecting  her  with  her  own  parents’  home. 
She  is  part  and  parcel  of  the  family  into  which  she  has 
married,  and  her  hopes  and  ambitions  are  henceforth  all 
in  this  direction.  It  may  be  for  this  reason  that  so  much 
more  joy  is  manifested  over  the  birth  of  a son  than 
over  that  of  a daughter.  The  former  will  always  be- 
long to  the  family,  and  he  is  one  more  hope  of  per- 
petuating the  family  name  and  honor.  But  as  a girl 
when  she  marries  goes  out  of  and  is  lost  to  the  family, 
no  hopes  of  increased  honor  to  it  can  centre  in  her. 

But  though  women  may  not  appear  in  the  street  by 
day,  there  is  a time  when  they  may  take  their  outing. 
After  the  curfew  strikes  all  males  are  supposed  to  be  in 
their  homes,  and  the  ladies  may  then  go  abroad.  They 


104 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


do  so  iu  general,  but  still  the  coat  is  worn  over  the  head, 
and  bv  day  or  night  the  women  are  grotesque  figures, 
with  their  full  skirts  and  with  the  sleeves  of  the  coat 
flapping  derisively  from  about  the  locality  of  the  ears. 
At  this  time  a foreigner  walking  through  the  streets 
will  meet  many  a little  company  of  women  chatting 
along  on  their  way  to  make  a call. 

If  a call  has  to  be  made  by  a lady  in  the  daytime, 
there  is  quite  a little  trouble  to  be  undertaken.  She 
will  be  carried  in  a two-man  chair,  which  may  be  de- 
scribed as  a box  rather  less  than  three  feet  square  and 
a trifle  over  three  feet  high,  carried  by  two  poles  which 
run  through  rings  in  the  sides  of  the  bottom  frame- 
work. 3"his  is  enclosed  by  curtains,  and  a lady’s  chair 
is  covered  with  little  brass  and  ribbon  ornaments  which 
mark  it  as  a lady’s  conveyance,  and  so  warn  ofiP  curious 
or  prying  glances.  When  a lady  wishes  to  go  out, 
one  of  the  servants  is  sent  to  summon  chair-coolies 
with  their  chair.  They  carry  this  into  the  inner  court, 
set  it  down  facing  the  entrance  and  then  retire.  After 
they  have  gone  my  lady’s  maid  comes  out,  sees  that  no 
eyes  are  prying  around  and  then  gives  the  signal  for 
her  mistress,  who  comes  out,  squats  in  front  of  the  chair 
(which  is  too  low  for  her  to  creep  into)  and  hunches  or 
shuffles  back  inside,  to  sit  tailor- fash  ion  on  the  bottom  ; 
the  curtains  are  then  carefully  pulled  down  and  exam- 
ined to  see  that  no  cranny  is  left  through  which  the 
prying  eye  can  see  the  occupant;  then  the  coolies  are 


Outside  Wall,  showing  Street  and  Veiled  Women.  Page  104. 


DOMESTIC  LIFE. 


105 


called  in,  given  their  directions,  and  they  take  up  the 
chair  and  fare,  and,  carrying  her  to  the  appointed  place, 
set  her  down  in  the  inner  courtyard,  retiring  until  she 
is  ready  to  return,  when  the  operation  is  repeated.  It 
should  be  stated,  however,  that  while  the  chair-curtains 
are  so  arranged  as  to  prevent  people’s  looking  in,  they 
do  not  prevent  the  occupant  from  seeing  out,  so  that 
whatever  goes  on  outside  can  be  watched  by  my  lady 
as  she  passes  through  the  streets. 

This  seclusion  of  women  is  an  obstacle  in  medical 
work,  and  also,  as  will  be  seen  in  the  chapter  on  mis- 
sions, in  mission  work.  It  necessitates  the  maintenance 
of  a lady  medical  missionary  to  treat  Her  Majesty  the 
queen.  There  is,  however,  one  peculiar  fact — that 
women  will  throw  ofP  all  restraint  in  the  house  and 
presence  of  a foreigner,  but  if  while  they  are  visiting 
there  a native  male  comes  in,  they  scurry  out  of  his 
sight  with  the  utmost  haste. 

It  might  be  imagined,  too,  that  the  method  of  con- 
tracting marriage  would  produce  very  unhappy  homes ; 
and  yet  this  does  not  seem  to  be  the  case.  Of  those  few 
cases  which  I have  had  the  opportunity  of  studying,  and 
others  which  came  under  my  eye,  by  far  the  larger  part 
seemed  to  have  produced  as  much  happiness  at  least  as 
is  found  in  the  majority  of  our  own  homes.  My  teacher, 
who  visited  us  in  company  with  his  wife,  seemed  almost 
extravagantly  fond  of  this  engaging  little  woman ; and 
as  one  passes  through  the  streets  and  sees  the  men  on 


106 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


every  hand  playing  with  and  caressing  the  children  with 
every  mark  of  fondness  and  affection,  one  is  assured  that 
love  is  a potent  factor  in  Korean  homes. 

Divorce  is  astonishingly  easy,  but  infrequent.  It 
seems  that  all  that  is  necessary  is  for  a husband  to  tell 
his  wife  to  leave,  and  she  is  thereby  divorced  and  the 
decree  entered.  Yet  but  one  case  of  this  kind  came 
to  our  knowledge,  and  even  in  that  instance  the  parties 
afterward  became  reconciled. 

The  Koreans  are  a domestic  people,  and  are  generally 
chaste.  Their  character  in  this  latter  particular  is  far 
above  that  of  their  neighbors,  the  Japanese. 

Of  course  it  is  seen  at  once  that  this  absence  of  native 
women  of  quality  from  the  streets  is  one  reason  why 
foreign  ladies  who  go  out  for  a walk  or  to  see  the  sights 
are  such  a curiosity  to  the  Koreans.  The  latter  deem 
it  strange  that  these  ladies — and  they  think  nothing 
disparaging  or  discreditable  of  foreign  women  on  this 
account — should  be  willing  to  let  their  faces  be  seen  in 
public  and  by  any  one  who  chooses  to  look. 

But  it  must  not  be  imagined  from  what  has  been  said 
that  w^oman  has  no  influence  in  Korean  life.  It  is  a 
well-known  fact  that  the  queen  has  very  great  influence 
with  the  king,  and  that  a great  deal  is  done  according  to 
her  wishes.  More  than  once  in  the  presence  of  her  lady 
physician,  when  matters  of  public  policy  were  being  dis- 
cussed, she  has  asked  the  king  to  be  quiet  while  she  ex- 
pressed her  opinion  ; and,  hidden  by  a screen,  she  once 


DOMESTIC  LIFE. 


107 


lectured  an  official  on  his  remissness  in  the  perform- 
ance of  his  duties.  In  ordinary  life  this  is  also  true. 
When  men  address  women  in  the  street,  it  is  almost 
always  with  the  polite”  forms.  Koreans  are  loud 
talkers,  so  that  when  a family  misunderstanding  is  in 
process  of  adjustment  the  neighbors  generally  hear 
what  is  going  on.  Many  a time,  while  passing  along 
the  street,  we  have  been  amused  to  note  that  while  a 
husband  was  calling  his  wife  all  the  names  he  could 
think  of,  he  usually  ended  by  attaching  to  the  verb  an 
ending  indicative  of  his  unbounded  respect  for  the  part- 
ner of  his  bosom.  There  is  still  one  other  fact  indicat- 
ing the  position  of  women  : while  foreigners  are  ex- 
pected to  talk  “ low  ” or  impolite  ” talk  to  their  male 
servants,  the  women,  seamstresses  and  nurses,  who  are 
in  their  employ  expect  to  be  addressed  in  polite  terms, 
and  object  if  spoken  to  in  any  other  way. 

In  a country  dominated  by  Chinese  culture,  as  we 
have  found  Korea  to  be,  it  is  to  be  expected  that 
Chinese  customs  of  family  life  will  be  found  in  force. 
We  are  therefore  prepared  to  find  in  Korea  the  greatest 
respect  for  old  age.  Hoary  hairs  are  a sign  of  glory, 
and  a bald  head  is,  among  Koreans,  a mark  of  wisdom. 
Those  who  have  followed  the  history  of  missions  will 
remember  that  Dr.  Allen  was  the  first  missionary  in 
the  country  after  the  making  of  a treaty.  He  doubt- 
less owed  a great  deal  of  his  popularity  and  the  con- 
fidence of  the  king  and  government  to  the  fact  that  he 


108 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


was  rather  bald.  On  one  occasion  a number  of  for- 
eigners were  out  skating,  and  the  doctor  was  in  the 
company.  The  pond  was  surrounded  by  Koreans  who 
were  watchiug  our  evolutions  on  the  ice  and  wondering 
at  the  skill  displayed.  Suddenly  the  doctor  lost  his  hat, 
and  as  the  people  gazed  on  the  broad  expanse  of  fore- 
head, reaching  nearly  to  his  crown,  they  remarked,  in 
accents  of  respect,  Why,  he’s  an  old  man  !”  and  their 
wonder  increased  at  the  agility  he  displayed.  So  the 
father  and  grandfather  are  objects  of  veneration,  and 
the  manners  of  youth  toward  old  age  are  worthy  of 
imitation  in  our  own  land. 

As  in  China,  so  in  Korea,  the  elder  brother  is  the 
hope  aud  pride,  and,  after  the  death  of  the  father,  the 
seat  of  authority  in  the  family.  The  younger  members 
of  the  household  are  taught  to  yield  to  him  in  all  things, 
and  he  is  next  to  the  elders  in  influence  during  their 
lifetime.  He  inflicts  chastisement  in  loco  parentis  upon 
the  younger  members  of  the  family,  and  as  regard  goes 
by  age,  and  the  second  son  is  superior  to  the  third,  aud 
so  on  down,  the  lot  of  the  youngest  son  is  often  an  un- 
enviable one.  We  had  in  our  employ  two  brothers 
whose  father  was  dead  and  whose  mother  was  old  and 
very  feeble.  The  elder  brother  had  on  one  occasion 
given  the  younger  some  command  which  was  disobeyed. 
The  elder  then  proceeded  to  punish  the  offender,  whose 
cries  reached  me  in  my  study.  After  finding  out  what 
was  the  matter,  I sent  to  have  the  beating  stopped,  but 


DOMESTIC  LIFE. 


109 


the  messenger  returned,  saying  that  Jumbo  (so  the  older 
one  had  been  nicknamed  because  of  his  size)  had  refused 
to  cease  chastising  his  brother,  inasmuch  as  he  was  the 
elder  and  had  the  right  according  to  Korean  custom  to 
punish  his  junior.  The  cries  of  the  little  fellow  were 
pitiful  to  hear,  so  I went  out  and  managed  to  make 
Jumbo  understand  that  whatever  his  rights  under 
Korean  law  might  be,  no  such  doings  would  be  tol- 
erated on  the  place  of  a foreigner.  I found  out  after- 
ward that  this  elder  brother,  a boy  of  about  sixteen  and 
utterly  irresponsible,  had  beaten  his  brother  with  a club 
as  thick  as  his  wrist,  and  had  bruised  the  little  fellow 
cruelly.  Had  the  beating  taken  place  before  they  came 
into  our  employ,  the  authority  of  the  elder  would  have 
been  almost  despotic,  and  it  was  in  his  power  to  make 
the  other  lead  a wretched  life.  As  the  case  stood,  for- 
eigners are  not  under  Korean  law,  and  even  their  ser- 
vants are  not  liable  to  arrest  except  through  their  re- 
spective consulates.  It  was  therefore  practicable  to 
interfere  and  save  the  boy  from  severe  punishment. 

While  monogamy  is  the  rule  in  Korea,  there  is  no 
law  against  polygamy,  and  many  Koreans  have  two 
wives.  Or,  to  put  it  in  another  way,  concubinage  is  a 
legalized  practice ; so  that  two  wives,  or  a wife  and  con- 
cubine, are  not  infrequently  heard  smoothing  out  the 
clothes  of  their  lord,  the  fact  of  there  being  two  being 
easily  discerned  by  the  frequency  of  the  taps  of  the 
ironing-sticks. 


no 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


The  greetiugs  Koreans  use  are  quite  Oriental.  The 
three  most  in  use  are,  ^^Are  you  well  used  generally 
to  inferiors;  ‘^Have  you  been  free  from  sickness?’^  or 
May  you  be  free  from  sickness  more  honorific  than 
the  preceding ; and  ]\Iay  you  have  peace  f ^ which  is 
the  most  complimentary. 

While  promiscuous  social  gatherings  are  from  the 
nature  of  things  not  permitted  in  Korea,  there  are 
usually  little  assemblies  of  men  after  night,  and 
groups  may  be  seen  in  the  little  anteroom  or  entrance, 
seated  around  the  hibachi  if  it  is  cold,  chatting  or  sing- 
ing songs  or  telling  tales  or  listening  while  one  reads  a 
book.  'One  thing  which  strikes  a newcomer  as  particu- 
larly strange  is  that  a Korean  when  reading,  no  matter 
what  it  is — song,  letter,  book  or  prayer  even — sings  or 
rather  intones  it.  This  is  the  only  peculiarity  which 
suggests  a connection  with  the  Chinese,  and  may  be  a 
reminiscence  or  reflection  of  the  tone  ” of  the  Chinese 
language.  The  little  gatherings  of  men  just  spoken  of 
suggest  the  meetings  at  the  country  store  in  our  own 
country  districts.  Undoubtedly,  many  a disturbance 
has  been  fomented  at  these  assemblies ; and  it  is  quite 
well  known  that  the  Jesuits,  who  have  lived  so  long  in 
disguise  in  the  peninsula,  have  taken  advantage  of  the 
custom  to  tell  the  tale  of  the  Virgin  and  her  Son. 

Nor  are  household  games  wanting  in  this  country. 
It  is  well  known  that  China  disputes  with  India  the 
honor  of  inventing  chess,  and  we  should  naturally  sup- 


DOMESTIC  LIFE. 


Ill 


pose  that  in  Korea,  Chinese  culture  would  bring  in  that 
game.  But  a Western  chess-player  would  not  recognize 
the  game  from  the  pieces  or  the  board.  The  pieces  are 
all  flat,  and  bear  their  titles  cut  in  the  top  and  bottom. 
They  are  not  played  in  the  squares,  but  on  the  inter- 
sections of  the  lines.  are  they  all  placed  on  the 

board  at  once,  but  rep(^^  a basket  at  the  player\s 
side,  and  are  put  in  positio^^  the  exigencies  of  the 
game  require.  Another  indoo!f;CT|aie  is  one  resembling 
go-bang,  played  also  at  the  int^Ations  of  the  lines, 
and  requiring  two  hundred  pieces,  -^^minoes  are  used, 
as  are  also  cards  and  a game  soni^^bt  resembling 
draughts. 

One  tradition  which  obtains  in  Korea  undoubtedly 
obstructs  the  advance  of  the  country.  It  is  that  men 
of  the  yang-ban  (gentleman  or  noble)  class,  even  though 
their  means  do  not  furnish  them  the  necessities  of  life, 
are  not  expected  to  work  and  produce  their  own  living. 
A gentleman  may  starve  or  beg,  but  may  not  work. 
His  relations  may  support  him,  or  his  wife  may,  in  one 
way  or  another,  supply  means,  but  he  must  not  soil  his 
hands.  This  custom  has  so  firm  a hold  that  it  is  con- 
stantly observed  in  practice.  If  a nobleman  loses  offi- 
cial position  and  property,  he  generally  becomes  a 
hanger-on  at  the  home  of  some  relation  who  is  more 
fortunate,  and  he  trusts  to  the  turn  of  the  wheel  to  re- 
gain his  position  at  the  public  crib. 

Although  living  is  remarkably  cheap  for  natives  in 


112 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL, 


Korea  (one  hundred  cash,  or  five  cents,  sufficing  for 
food  for  one  day),  the  number  of  non-producers  is 
swelled  to  large  dimensions  by  this  addition  to  the 
number  of  officials,  who  of  course  add  nothing  to  the 
wealth  of  the  country.  The  only  remedy  for  this  is 
probably  the  adoption  of  a new  civilization,  and  famil- 
iarity with  the  fact  that  among  Western  men,  who  stand 
so  high  in  the  opinion  of  Koreans,  work  is  not  a dis- 
grace. Mere  association  with  foreigners  will  do  much 
to  bring  a change  in  this  respect. 

When  the  teachers  arrived  in  the  country  to  take 
charge  of  the  king’s  school,  called  the  Royal  College, 
they  found  themselves  occupying  an  enviable  position 
in  Korean  eyes,  as  men  who  had  taken  rank  in  the 
great  American,  quaga.  In  other  words,  they  were 
looked  upon  as  gentlemen  ” in  the  Korean  sense. 
Now,  Korean  gentlemen  ” are  not  supposed  to  carry 
anything  for  themselves.  Our  scholars,  all  chosen  from 
the  nobility,  would  not  carry  their  books  from  their 
study-rooms  to  the  class-rooms : a servant  had  to  do 
that  for  them.  Whenever  a gentleman  goes  abroad  he 
is  accompanied  by  a band  of  servants,  more  or  less 
numerous  according  to  his  rank  or  means,  who  carry 
his  belongings.  He  does  not  carry  even  his  pipe.  So 
when  we  went  out  into  the  street,  it  was  very  much 
against  the  will  of  the  attendants  that  we  should  carry 
anything. 

Soon  after  our  arrival  a soldier,  by  order  of  His 


DOMESTIC  LIFE. 


113 


Majesty,  was  sent  to  each  teacher,  to  be  a sort  of 
personal  attendant  and  messenger.  If  either  of  us 
went  hunting,  the  soldier  in  attendance  always  took  the 
gun  and  carried  it  till  we  got  to  the  hunting-grounds. 
Tlie  distress  of  my  man  was  rather  pitiful  the  first 
day  that  I brought  out  two  pieces,  a shot-gun 
and  a rifle,  and  he  had  to  submit  to  my  carrying 
one. 

In  like  manner,  in  the  spring,  when  one  of  the 
teachers  commenced  gardening,  of  whicli  occupation 
he  was  especially  fond,  and  began  by  using  the  spade, 
an  attendant  ran  up  and  tried  to  take  the  spade  out 
of  his  hands,  and  remonstrated  with  him  on  doing 
coolies’  work.”  The  servants  can  hardly  understand 
ladies  taking  hold  of  the  housework  in  the  energetic 
way  of  Americans,  and  accomplishing  so  much. 

It  is  a revelation  to  the  Koreans  to  find  men  who, 
they  admit,  are  gentlemen,  the  peers  of  their  own  of- 
ficials of  high  rank,  deeming  it  no  dishonor  to  engage 
in  manual  labor.  This  foreign  custom  is  bearing  fruit 
already.  One  Korean  at  least  of  the  yang-ban  class 
can  be  pointed  out  who,  finding  himself  out  of  funds, 
instead  of  living  upon  his  relations,  took  a place  in  the 
house  of  one  of  the  missionaries,  and  as  steward  earned 
his  bread  by  hard  labor.  That  Korean  was  really  little 
short  of  a hero,  for  it  Avas  no  slight  thing  for  him  to 
brave  the  uplifted  eyebrows  and  familiar  address  of 

those  who  had  been  beneath  him,  to  fly  in  the  face  of 
8 


114 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


the  traditions  of  his  country,  and  to  earn  instead  of 
‘‘sponge”  his  bread.  Yet  there  is  an  epithet  used  in 
quarrels  which  shows  that  there  is  a foundation  iu  the 
sentiment  of  the  people  for  a l^etter  order  of  things.  A 
man  will  sometimes  call  an  op]X)nent  a peero  mogganan 
nom,  a “ fellow  who  lives  by  borrowing.”  This  is  as 
insulting  an  expression  as  can  be  applied.  There  may 
come  a time,  then,  when  Koreans  will  believe  in  the 
dignity  of  labor ; and  foreigners  who  are  in  the  coun- 
try now,  and  who  are  the  objects  of  Korean  watch- 
fulness, cannot  do  a better  work  than  to  show,  by  dis- 
daining no  decent  work,  that  there  is  no  disgrace  attach- 
ing to  labor.  There  is  a tendency  in  Eastern  countries, 
where  service  is  cheap  and  servants  are  many,  to  let  the 
natural  laziness  in  one’s  nature  assert  itself,  and  to  allow 
matters  to  go  easily.  The  Anglo-Saxon  race  owes  its 
dominant  position  to  its  energy  and  tirelessness,  and 
these,  in  turn,  are  born  of  the  knowledge  that  labor 
is  honorable.  It  is  to  be  hopetl,  then,  that  the  tendency 
of  foreignei*s  in  Korea  will  not  be  to  pander  to  Korean 
notions  iu  this  respect,  for  fear  of  losing  caste  in  their 
eyes,  but  to  maintain  the  ascendency  their  civilization 
gives  them  over  Koreans,  and  to  prove  that  that  ascend- 
ency is  due  to  the  exercise  of  uatui'al  and  acquired 
powers  iu  doing  useful  and  beneficent  work. 

In  the  peninsula  there  is  of  course  nothing  resembling 
the  caste  distinctions  of  India.  Men  may  pass,  through 
the  medium  of  scholarship,  from  the  peasant  class  to 


DOMESTIC  LIFE. 


115 


the  raok  of  scholar  and  noble.  Bat  there  is  a great 
deference  among  the  people,  which  is  insisted  on  by 
officials  themselves,  toward  officials.  For  instance,  in 
discussing  business  men  below  a certain  grade  (that 
know  as  cham-way)  may  not  sit  in  the  presence  of 
men  of  higher  rank  unless  invited  to  do  so.  Hence 
when  the  teachers  sent  on  to  open  the  royal  college 
met  the  commissioners  of  education,  while  chairs  were 
provided  for  all  at  the  house  where  we  met,  the 
interpreters  did  not  dare  to  sit  down,  explaining 
to  us  the  reason  for  their  declining  our  request  to 
be  seated.  Officials  passing  along  the  street  are  often 
preceded  by  soldiers  and  attendants,  who  clear  the 
way  for  these  great  men,  and  order  all  men  to  rise 
and  show  respect  to  them.  In  the  case  of  men  of 
high  rank,  soldiers  of  a certain  class  precede  the 
chair  of  the  official  nearly  a hundred  yards,  shout- 
ing out  at  short  intervals,  at  the  top  of  their  voices, 
what  sounds  like  Kee-roo-che-roo-oo-oo ! Kee-roo- 
che-roo-oo-oo  Generally  two  old  soldiers  perform 
this  duty,  each  taking  his  turn  in  shouting  the  above 
call.  The  exact  translation  of  the  term  I have  never 
learned,  but  the  meaning  is  unmistakable.  It  is  equiva- 
lent to  Look  out,  all  you  people  ! here  comes  a great 
man ; get  out  of  the  way,  and  be  prepared  to  show  re- 
spect.’’ After  these  two  leading  soldiers,  who  walk  on 
opposite  sides  of  the  street,  come  others,  sometimes  to 
the  number  of  thirty  or  forty,  and  they  are  followed,  in 


116 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


the  case  of  military  officers,  by  two  or  more  ranks  of 
soldiers  with  muskets  and  fixed  bayonets  enclosing  the 
chair  of  the  officer,  and  then  comes  a train  of  servants, 
secretaries,  etc.,  bearing  various  utensils. 

Etiquette  is  graded  with  exactest  nicety.  Even  the 
distance  a host  accompanies  his  guest  on  the  latter’s 
departure  is  measured  by  the  elevation  the  guest  has 
attained  in  official  station.  A curious  custom  is  that 
two  intimate  friends  passing  along  the  street  on  horse- 
back will  not  speak  or  recognize  each  other.  "When 
a Korean  riding  in  a chair  meets  in  the  street  a for- 
eigner whom  he  knows,  he  usually  stops  his  chair, 
dismounts  and  passes  the  time  of  day.  This  is  a mark 
of  respect,  and  a tribute  not  usually  paid  by  Koreans 
to  men  of  their  own  nationality.  One  thing  that  strikes 
foreigners  is  the  universal  use  of  the  fan.  A part  of 
the  equipment  even  of  soldiers  is  a large  fan.  Every 
person  who  keeps  servants  is  supposed  to  supply  them 
during  the  summer  season  with  these  indispensable 
articles;  and  they  serve  not  only  to  cool  the  person, 
but  also  to  shield  the  face  from  too  curious  observers. 
Many  a time  have  we  passed  Koreans  on  horseback 
and  been  amused  to  see  the  riders  hold  their  fans 
before  their  faces  so  as  not  to  be  seen. 

As  in  Japan,  shoes  are  removed  on  entering  a house. 
Since  the  shoes  are  a sort  of  sandal  or  slipper,  this  does 
not  cause  any  great  amount  of  trouble.  They  are  easily 
released,  and  stand  at  the  door  ready  to  be  slipped  on 


DOMESTIC  LIFE. 


117 


again  when  the  call  is  over.  The  reason  for  this  re- 
moval of  the  shoes  will  be  seen  as  we  describe  the  floor 
of  the  house.  The  hat  is  not  taken  offj  but  as  it  is 
only  a light  hair  net,  its  retention  on  the  head  pro- 
duces no  discomfort. 

The  laws  of  etiquette  are  peculiar  in  the  matter  of 
smoking.  They  resemble  somewhat  the  customs  ob- 
served in  our  own  army.  It  is  known  to  most  persous 
that  among  officers  of  the  army  the  punctilios  of  formal 
salutes  when  meeting  otherwise  than  in  the  line  of  duty 
are  not  observed.  A major  and  colonel  meeting  in  a 
friendly  way  do  not  give  the  military  salute.  But  when- 
ever a private  and  commissioned  officer  meet  or  pass, 
the  latter  is  saluted  by  the  former.  Similarly,  when 
men  of  high  rank  are  in  the  presence  of  men  of  still 
higher  rank,  all  smoke  together.  But  the  servant  never 
smokes  in  the  presence  of  his  master.  So  the  servants 
about  foreigners’  houses,  if  they  are  caught  by  the 
master  with  a pipe  in  their  mouth,  take  it  out  and 
hide  it  behind  them.  Often  when  going  down  to  the 
river  for  swans  in  the  early  morning,  and  taking  my 
soldier  along,  I would  put  in  my  pocket  a cigar  to 
cheer  him  as  we  waited  for  the  light  to  come  or  the  fog 
to  lift;  but  he  would  never  smoke  before  me.  Were 
we  waiting,  he  would  get  behind  a boat,  where  he  could 
not  be  seen,  or  if  we  were  walking  he  would  come  some 
distance  behind  me.  If  a nobleman  passes  along  the 
street,  the  common  people  who  are  smoking  hide  their 


118 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


pipes  until  he  has  gone  by.  The  use  of  tobacco  is 
universal,  even  boys  and  women  using  the  weed.  A 
part  of  the  dress  of  a Korean  is  his  tobacco-pouch,  his 
flint,  steel  and  tinder  or  his  matches.  Without  it  he 
never  goes  abroad,  and  tobacconists  and  pipe-dealers 
are  far  more  common  than  in  our  own  country.  A 
traveler  has  well  said  that  you  can  tell  approximately 
the  rank  of  a Korean  by  noting  the  length  of  his  pipe- 
stem.  The  official  is  unable  to  light  his  pipe  by  holding 
a match  to  it — he  cannot  reach  the  bowl.  So  men  of 
rank  have  their  pipes  filled  and  lighted  by  their  servants, 
and  it  usually  takes  two  to  accomplish  the  lighting. 
Much  taste  is  displayed  in  the  ornamentation  of  the 
pipes.  The  bowls  are  usually  of  metal,  and  often  the 
mouth-pieces  are  of  the  same  material.  Frequently 
the  mouth-piece  is  of  jade,  and  is  correspondingly  costly. 
Very  tasty  mouth-pieces  are  made  of  agate,  and  are  dis- 
played in  all  sizes  and  varieties  in  almost  every  store. 
The  stems,  the  shortest  and  plainest  of  which  are  used 
by  the  coolies,  are  plain  reeds.  The  more  costly,  deco- 
rated with  paints  in  dainty  patterns  or  carved,  bring 
from  twenty-five  cents  to  a dollar.  The  metal  bowls 
and  mouth-pieces  are  made  of  copper  and  are  nickel- 
plated.  Short  and  handy  pipes  of  foreign  make  are 
coming  into  use  among  the  coolies,  but  a short  pipe  is 
to  a man  of  note  an  abomination. 

Should  representative  government  ever  come  into 
vogue  in  Korea,  colonization  of  voters  and  repeat- 


DOMESTIC  LIFE. 


119 


ing  ’’  will  not  be  feasible,  at  least  if  present  regulations 
are  kept  in  force.  Each  male  carries  with  him  his  card 
of  identification.  The  births  of  males  being  registered, 
their  names  are  a matter  of  record.  A piece  of  wood 
about  three  inches  long,  three-quarters  of  an  inch  in 
width  and  a quarter  of  an  inch  thick  is  carried  by  every 
Korean,  and  on  this  is  stamped  his  name  and  address. 
This  is  his  card  of  identification,  and  with  this  upon  his 
person  it  is  possible  for  a thief  to  be  captured  and  identi- 
fied at  any  time  by  simply  causing  a muster,  unless  he 
has  escaped  from  the  kingdom.  The  possession  of  this 
‘^card’’  is  obligatory.  Many  a time  I have  endeavored 
to  buy  one  of  them,  but  was  never  successful — a pretty 
conclusive  proof  of  their  importance  and  of  the  strin- 
gency of  the  regulations  concerning  them.  One  of  our 
own  men  gave  an  illustration  of  the  importance  of  this 
requirement  when  I endeavored  one  day  to  get  his  card 
away  from  him  in  return  for  some  silver.  When  asked 
why  he  would  not  part  with  it,  he  merely  said,  If  this 
were  gone — completing  his  unfinished  sentence  by 
drawing  his  finger  around  his  neck  and  shrugging  his 
shoulders  to  represent  decapitation.  He  might  have 
been  playing  on  my  credulity,  but  there  was  probably 
some  foundation  for  his  statement. 

Tlie  mode  of  building  a Korean  house  is  peculiar  and 
cheap,  and  the  kindness  of  the  people  is  so  great  that  it  is 
not  unusual  for  the  inhabitants  of  a village  to  unite  and 
help  build  the  house  of  a newcomer  or  an  unfortunate 


120 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


loser  by  a fire  or  other  calamity.  The  mode  of  work- 
ing is  as  follows  : Blocks  of  stone  above  a foot  in  height 
and  perhaps  fifteen  inches  square  at  the  base  are  set  at 
distances  of  eight  feet  apart  along  the  line  of  what  is 
to  be  the  outer  wall  of  the  house,  aud  their  tops  placed 
at  the  same  level  by  means  of  a line  tightly  stretched. 
Opposite  these,  and  at  distances  of  eight,  twelve  or  six- 
teen feet,  aceording  to  the  width  of  the  house,  are  placed 
corresponding  blocks  of  stone  on  the  line  of  the  inside 
wall.  Upon  these  are  erected  planed  posts  of  pine, 
eight  inches  square  or  larger,  and  eight  to  ten  feet  in 
height.  These  are  connected  at  the  top  and  bottom  by 
beams  stretching  both  lengthwise  aud  across  the  house. 
Upon  the  cross-beams  at  the  centre  are  placed  other 
posts,  upon  which  the  ridge-poles  rest,  aud  the  frame 
of  the  house  is  now  complete.  The  window-frames 
aud  door-frames  are  then  placed  in  position,  and  the 
spaces  between  them  and  the  beams  and  posts  are  filled 
in  with  a basket-work  of  intertwined  twigs.  There  is 
then  laid  over  this,  inside  and  out,  a coating  of  clay, 
which  is  allowed  to  harden,  and  the  cracks  resulting 
from  the  drying  are  then  filled  up.  Over  this  is  spread 
a coating  of  plaster,  and  sometimes  over  this  again  a coat 
of  the  tough  native  paper  is  pasted.  The  roof  is  made 
by  arranging  poles  about  two  inches  thick  from  the  ridge- 
pole to  the  beams  running  lengthwise  of  the  house,  and 
allowing  them  to  project  three  or  four  feet  over  the 
side  of  the  house.  Across  these  smaller  scantlings  are 


Mural  Decorations,  End  of  a House.  Page  121 


DOMESTIC  LIFE. 


121 


laid,  and  then  a layer  of  chips.  If  the  house  is  to  be 
roofed  with  tiles,  a layer  of  earth  is  placed  next,  and 
then  the  tiles  are  thrown  up  and  laid  ready  for  use. 
These  tiles  are  of  two  kinds : one  is  about  eight  inches 
in  width,  and  curved  with  a radius  of  about  four 
inches;  the  other  kind  is  smaller,  about  four  inches 
wide,  with  a radial  curve  of  two  inches.  The  larger 
kind  are  laid  down  beginning  at  the  edge  of  the  roof, 
and  placed  side  by  side,  their  edges  touching,  the  con- 
cave surface  upward  and  the  lower  end  of  each  upper  tile 
lapping  the  upper  end  of  the  one  next  below  it.  The 
edges  of  these  rows  of  tiles  are  covered  with  the  smaller 
tiles  with  the  convex  side  up,  cemented  with  clay  or 
mortar.  The  ridge  is  well  guarded  with  several  rows 
of  the  larger  tiles,  so  that  the  drainage  of  the  roof  is 
perfect.  The  slope  of  the  roof  is  great,  and  there  is 
seldom  much  trouble  with  leaks  during  even  the  most 
trying  rainy  season.  In  laying  the  roof  a very  grace- 
ful curve,  peculiar  to  Eastern  architecture,  is  given  by 
depressing  the  centre  and  raising  the  corners  of  the 
edges  of  the  roofs.  In  the  flooring  and  the  arrange- 
ments for  heating  Korean  houses  are  peculiar.  There 
are  summer  rooms  which  are  floored  with  boards,  but 
the  main  living-rooms  are  arranged  in  another  way. 

Stoves  either  for  cooking  or  heating  are  not  known  in 
Korea,  except  the  small  open  pots»  like  the  Japanese 
hibachi.  Arrangements  for  heating  are  therefore  of  a 
different  kind.  In  the  houses  of  the  poor  the  fire  which 


122 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


cooks  the  meals  serves  also  for  warming  the  silting-  and 
sleeping-room.  The  fireplace  is  outside  the  sleeping- 
room,  and  is  a place  about  a foot  square  and  a foot  deep, 
covered  often  with  a stationary  pot  or  kettle  for  cook- 
ing. This  fireplace  is  on  that  side  of  what  we  may  call 
the  kitchen  which  is  next  to  the  sitting-room.  The 
chimney  is  at  the  farther  end  of  the  sitting-room.  The 
flue,  after  leaving  the  fireplace  and  passing  through  the 
partition  wall,  divides  into  two,  three  or  more  flues, 
according  to  the  size  of  the  room.  These  flues  are 
made  somewhat  like  a drain,  about  a foot  wide,  below 
the  level  of  the  floor,  and  are  covered  with  flagging. 
These  flues  unite  in  one  flue  at  the  end  of  the  room 
furthest  from  the  fireplace,  and  thence  lead  to  the  chim- 
ney, a very  crude  one,  built  often  outside  the  house. 
The  fire  thus  does  double  duty,  serving  first  to  cook 
the  food,  and  then  to  heat  the  sleeping-room.  The 
flagging  is  covered  with  a layer  of  mud  an  inch  to  two 
inches  in  thickness,  laid  on  very  smooth.  This,  when 
dry,  is  covered  with  a very  thin  rice-straw  paper,  and 
over  that  is  laid  a very  thick  and  heavy  oil  paper, 
pasted  down  upon  the  straw  paper.  This  last  serves  as 
a carpet,  and  is  sometimes  decorated  in  designs.  In 
houses  of  the  better  class  are  mats  or  rugs  of  straw — 
sometimes  the  famous  Kang  Hwah  mats.  But  outside 
of  the  thin  rush  or  straw  mats  which  serve  as  beds — 
and  often  these  are  lacking — there  are  no  carpets,  and 
there  is  no  substitute  for  them. 


DOMESTIC  LIFE. 


123 


It  is  doubtless  owing  to  this  peculiar  construction  of 
the  flooring,  and  to  the  fact  that  the  hob-nails  of  their 
shoes  would  puncture  it,  that  the  custom  of  leaving  the 
shoes  outside  the  floor  has  grown  up.  Koreans  sleep  on 
the  floor.  They  rarely  have  bedsteads,  though  a few  are 
to  be  seen,  made  only  for  ornament,  and  raised  only  a 
few  inches  from  the  floor.  In  winter  the  floor  is  heated 
as  described  above,  and  from  this  the  air  of  the  room 
takes  its  heat.  Sometimes  as  an  adjunct  hibachis  with 
charcoal  fires  are  put  in  the  room,  but  in  general  the 
only  heat  furnished  is  from  the  kang  fireplace  described 
above.  The  arrangement  is  one  most  suited  to  the 
means  of  the  inhabitants,  being  both  economical  and 
convenient.  The  kang  method  is  used  by  foreigners 
in  some  of  their  rooms,  though  of  course  without 
the  cooking-utensil  adjustment.  With  grates  coal  can 
be  burned,  making  a very  economical  heat,  and  one 
especially  pleasant  to  dress  by  in  winter ; for  as  the 
floor  is  warm,  there  is  no  disagreeable  chill  while  don- 
ning the  apparel.  For  fuel  almost  anything  does  duty 
— weeds,  dried  grass,  fallen  leaves,  brush  and  wood. 
But  as  wood  is  dear  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  capital, 
brush,  dried  grass  and  weeds  are  the  principal  fuel. 
Coal  is  very  little  used  by  the  Koreans.  They  have 
no  grates,  and  coal  does  not  burn  in  the  kangs  without 
a grate.  Koreans  will  bear  almost  any  amount  of  heat 
and  foul  air  in  their  rooms  in  winter.  They  seal  the 
windows  almost  hermetically,  and  the  doors  are  made  as 


124 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


tight  as  possible.  For  light  they  use  either  tallow  or 
wax  rush-lights  or  little  tin  kerosene  lamps  with  no  chim- 
neys. These  latter  shortly  make  the  air  unbearable  to 
Americans,  but  the  natives  seem  to  experience  no  in- 
convenience. Bad  odors  never  seem  to  cause  uneasi- 
ness, either  in  the  house  or  without. 

The  inside  walls  are  papered  with  native  or  Japanese 
or  Chinese  paper.  The  peculiarity  of  this  is  that  it 


comes  in  squa; 
in  using  foreig] 


\vhen  papering  foreign 
paper  into  blocks,  since  theyl^A^ 
easily  in  that  shape.  The  beams  of'^ 


not  in  rolls.  Native  paper-hangei*s 
in  rolls  have  to  be  watched 
s,  or  they  will  cut  the 
e it  much  more 
nd  the  raftem 

which  show  are  stained  a dark  brown  and  varnished,  and 
the  spaces  between  the  rafters  are  papered.  A house 
nicely  finished  inside  is  really  very  artistic,  and  as 
some  of  the  rooms  have  a height  of  twelve  feet  to 
the  ridge-pole,  they  are  dry  and  healthy,  with  abun- 
dant means  of  ventilation.  Foreigners  in  remodeling 
the  native  houses  for  themselves  use  glass  windows, 
but  natives,  like  the  Japanese,  use  translucent  though 
not  transparent  white  paper.  For  the  last  ten  years 
small  bits  of  glass  have  been  coming  into  use  more 
and  more,  and  now  as  one  passes  along  the  streets 
one  sees  in  the  windows  little  pieces  of  glass,  one  or 
two  inches  square,  set  in  the  paper — peep-holes  for 
the  inmates.  But  the  street  side  of  the  houses  has 
very  few  windows — ^generally  not  more  than  one — this 


DOMESTIC  LIFE. 


125 


custom  of  course  being  in  furtherance  of  the  privacy 
of  the  dwelling. 

In  wall-building  Koreans  have  an  economical  material 
— mother  earth.  Along  the  line  of  the  wall  to  be  built 
a foundation  of  stones  is  laid.  Alongside  of  this  founda- 
tion stakes  are  driven  in  at  distances  of  about  six  or 
eight  feet,  and  firmly  fastened  at  the  top  to  prevent 
their  spreading.  Boards  about  a foot  and  a half  in 
width  and  sixteen  to  eighteen  feet  long  are  then  put 
in  position  on  their  edges  inside  the  stakes,  the  space 
inside  the  boards  being  equal  to  the  width  of  the  wall 
to  be  built.  Loose  earth  is  then  dug  up,  thrown 
between  the  boards  and  tightly  rammed  down  and 
packed.  When  the  space  is  filled  the  boards  are 
raised  and  the  operation  is  repeated  until  the  proposed 
height  of  the  wall  is  reached.  The  boards  are  then 
moved  along,  another  length  is  built,  and  so  on  until 
this  part  of  the  work  is  completed.  The  wall  is  then 
allowed  to  dry,  after  which  it  is  covered  with  a coat 
of  mortar  and  the  top  protected  with  a roof  of  tiles 
projecting  beyond  the  sides  of  the  wall.  The  earth 
is  packed  and  rammed  so  tightly  as  to  have  almost 
the  hardness  and  consistency  of  stone.  The  main 
thing  to  be  provided  for  is  the  surface  drainage, 
for  in  the  rainy  season  the  rainfall  is  very  heavy, 
and  as  the  slope  is  often  great,  the  erosive  power  of 
the  water  is  considerable,  and  many  a wall  goes  down 
because  of  insufficient  or  careless  surface  drainage. 


126 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


Walls  of  this  character  said  to  have  been  built  forty 
veal's  ago  may  be  seen,  off  which  tiles  and  mortar 
have  fallen,  and  which  will  resist  sturdy  blows  with 
a pick,  so  solid  was  their  construction.  It  should  also 
he  said  that  the  projection  of  the  roof  three  or  even 
five  feet  beyond  the  walls  of  the  houses  is  for  the 
purpose  of  protecting  the  walls,  which  rarely  sufibr 
even  in  the  rainiest  season. 

Another  feature  in  Korean  life  is  the  water-carrier. 
Of  course  such  a thing  as  water-works  is  unknown  in 
Korea.  Public  works  on  such  a scale  are  undreamt  of, 
notwithstanding  that  in  few  countries  are  the  natural 
conditions  more  favorable  for  the  supply  of  water  to 
large  cities  than  in  that  peninsula. 

^ Few  houses  have  private  wells,  and  the  foreigners 
have  had  to  have  wells  dug  on  their  grounds  in  order 
to  have  within  reach  a supply  of  pure  water.  The 
culinary  and  domestic  supply  of  water  is  therefore 
drawn  from  the  public  wells,  which  are  situated  by 
the  roadside  and  seldom  more  than  six  or  eight  feet 
deep.  Often  within  six  feet,  sometimes  within  three, 
flows  the  open  drain  carrying  off  the  filth  of  the  city, 
and  doubtless  much  fetid  matter  filters  into  the  wells. 
In  the  outside  room  of  the  house,  or  in  some  place 
equally  convenient,  stands  a large  crock  or  jar  of  earth- 
enware as  a receptacle  for  the  drinking-  and  cooking- 
water  of  the  family.  This  is  brought  from  the  wells 
by  the  water-carriers,  of  whom  there  are  a certain  num- 


DOMESTIC  LIFE. 


127 


ber  iu  each  district,  who  beloDg  to  one  of  the  guilds. 
These  men  wear  a yoke  very  much  like  that  used  by 
the  milkmen  of  Switzerland  and  England,  carried  on 
the  shoulders  and  projecting  beyond  the  sides,  from  the 
ends  of  which  depend  two  ropes  or  chains  with  hooks  at- 
tached, which  fit  into  rings  on  the  handles  of  the  buckets. 
These  buckets  each  hold  about  three  gallons,  and  the 
carrier  has  two  of  them  depending  from  his  yoke. 
Their  labors  begin  early  in  the  morning,  and  their  work 
is  to  keep  the  neighborhood  dependent  on  them  supplied 
with  water.  For  this  they  receive  a small  sum  each 
month  from  each  household  supplied  by  them.  Our 
own  supply  was  brought  from  one  of  the  neighbors’ 
wells,  as  the  government  had  not  dug  one  on  our 
compound.  This  was  a little  further  than  the  public 
well  from  which  we  should  naturally  have  drawn  our 
supply,  consequently  we  had  to  pay  more  for  carriage 
than  we  otherwise  should.  Besides  this,  we  used  eight  or 
ten  times  the  amount  of  water  consumed  in  native  fami- 
lies ; yet  the  cost  to  us  was  only  about  a dollar  a month. 
The  carriers  are  of  course  met  everywhere  in  the  street, 
and  even  without  their  yokes  they  can  be  recognized  by 
their  gait.  It  is  a marvel  to  the  stranger  how  they  man- 
age to  stride  or  swing  along  with  pails  full  to  the  brim, 
scarcely  spilling  a drop.  They  have  not  even  the  device 
of  carrying  a floating  board  iu  the  pails  to  prevent 
slopping.  The  water  is  not  drawn  up  by  windlass  and 
bucket,  but  is  ladled  up  by  a wooden  bowl  attached 


128 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


usually  by  three  cords  of  straw  to  a straw  rope.  This 
is  let  down  into  the  well,  and  by  a peculiar  flip,  which 
is  hard  to  learn,  sent  under  the  water  and  drawn  up 
full,  and  the  water  poured  into  the  pails.  A few 
wells  have  pole-and-swivel  attachments,  but  such  are 
rare. 

The  washing  is  not  generally  done  at  home.  Some 
few  articles  are  necessarily  washed  there,  but  the  most 
of  the  washing  is  done  in  the  meadows  and  by  the  side 
of  streams.  More  concerning  this  will  be  found  in  the 
chapter  devoted  to  woman  and  her  labors. 

Among  the  strange  features  of  Korean  life  are  the 
changs  or  fairs,  where  the  trade  of  the  country  is  car- 
ried on.  The  places  for  these  fairs  are  always  near  a 
stream  and  close  to  cross-roads,  and  of  course  on  a level 
spot.  These  spots  are  marked  by  a few  inns  and  by 
rude  sheds  put  up  for  the  protection  of  the  wares.  There 
are  several  of  these  in  a district,  and  they  are  the  media 
of  interchange  of  merchandise  for  the  neighborhood. 
These  fairs  are  held  about  every  five  days,  and  on  fair 
days  what  at  other  times  looks  like  a deserted  village 
becomes  lively  with  the  moving  crowds  and  resonant 
with  the  cries  of  the  venders.  The  goods  are  dis- 
played under  a shed  and  in  the  open  air,  and  often 
a huffe  umbrella  will  shelter  the  stock  in  trade  of 
a merchant.  As  the  fairs  are  held  on  different  days 
in  different  districts,  venders  move  from  one  to  an- 
other, transporting  on  their  own  backs  or  on  those  of 


DOMESTIC  LIFE. 


129 


oxen  or  ponies  the  stock  remaining  unsold  at  the  last 
one.  It  has  arisen  from  this  custom  that  there  is  a 
profession  of  peddlers  and  another  of  porters,  and 
these  peddlers  are  organized  into  a guild  which  goes 
by  the  name  of  pusang.  The  porters  are  also  organ- 
ized, and  they  are  called  posang.  The  former  guild 
is  under  government  protection,  and  is  under  the 
supervision  of  officials ; it  is  divided  into  sections 
of  one  thousand  men,  with  heads  or  chiefs  appointed 
by  the  home  office.  These  men  are  utilized  by  the 
government  in  various  ways.  They  serve,  for  ex- 
ample, as  detectives,  their  roving  life  making  them 
of  much  value  in  this  way,  and  they  are  also  liable 
to  military  service.  They  are  said  to  number  nearly 
one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  men,  and  their  patri- 
otism is  of  a very  high  order.  The  following  graphic 
description  by  Mr.  Foulk,  naval  attache  to  the  legation 
at  Seoul,  and  at  that  time  an  ensign  in  the  United  States 
navy,  is  taken  from  the  Papers  relating  to  the  For- 
eign Relations  of  the  United  States,  transmitted  to  Con- 
gress Dec.  8,  1885,’^  Washington,  1886,  p.  320,  and 
will  give  an  excellent  idea  of  the  working  of  this  guild. 
It  gives  Mr.  Foulk’s  experience  in  returning  from  a 
visit  to  Song-To,  a stronghold  and  one  of  the  fortresses 
of  the  capital : 

It  was  nightfall  when  we  started  to  return.  The 
magistrate,  who  was  an  officer  of  the  pusang^  brought 
his  seal  into  use,  and  called  out  thirty  of  the  body  to 


130 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


light  us  down  the  mountains.  Where  these  men  came 
from  or  how  they  were  called  I did  not  understand,  for 
we  were  apparently  in  an  uninhabited,  wild,  mountain 
district.  They  appeared  quickly,  great,  rough  moun- 
tain men,  each  wearing  a straw  hat  with  a cotton  ball 
in  the  band  and  the  characters  “fidelity’^  and  “loyalty’’ 
written  on  the  brim.  We  descended  the  worst  ravine  in 
a long,  weird,  winding  procession,  the  mountains  and 
our  path  weirdly  illuminated  by  the  pine  torches  of  the 
pusang  men,  who  uttered  shrill  reverberating  cries  con- 
tinually to  indicate  the  road  or  each  other’s  whereabouts. 
Suddenly  we  came  upon  a little  pavilion  in  the  darkest 
part  of  the  first  gorge ; here  some  two  hundred  more 
pusang  men  were  assembled  by  a wild  stream  in  the 
light  of  many  bonfires  and  torches.  On  the  call  of  the 
magistrate  they  had  prepared  a feast  for  us  here  at  mid- 
night in  the  mountains.  Here  the  magistrate  told  me 
he  had  been  asked  by  the  late  minister  to  the  United 
States,  Nim  Yong  Ik,  to  suddenly  call  on  the  pusang 
men  of  the  Song-To  district  for  services,  to  show  me  the 
usefulness  and  fidelity  of  the  body ; and  he  had  selected 
this  place,  the  middle  of  the  mountains,  and  time,  the 
middle  of  the  night.  I need  not  say  that  the  experi- 
ence was  wonderful  and  impressive.  The  manner  of 
the  magistrate  to  the  pusang  men  was  most  kind  and 
pleasing,  and  they  likewise  exhibited  the  utmost  regard 
and  deference  for  him.  I was  assigned  the  place  of 
honor  at  the  feast,  in  the  middle,  before  the  largest 


DOMESTIC  LIFE. 


131 


table,  which  was  piled  with  a great  variety  of  food. 
The  leading  pusang  men — old  men,  nicely  dressed, 
with  kind  faces — were  presented  to  me,  and  exhibited 
curiously  their  pleasure  in  thus  talking  pleasantly  with 
a foreigner  for  the  first  time  in  their  lives.  The  fact  of 
my  traveling  in  Korea  utterly  alone  (so  far  as  the  com- 
pany of  other  foreigners  was  concerned)  seemed  to  please 
them  very  much. 

In  returning  to  the  city  our  own  escort  was  sent  to 
the  rear  at  the  request  of  the  pusang  men,  who  took 
charge  of  us.  They  carried  us  across  rocky  streams, 
up  and  down  rocky  gullies,  energetic  and  cheerful  all 
the  while,  a distance  of  eight  miles  ; thence  on  into  the 
city,  over  a comparatively  level  road.  Thirty  or  forty 
men  carried  torches,  which  were  found  lying  across  the 
path  at  regular  intervals,  to  light  the  way.  At  3 A.  m. 
we  arrived  at  the  yongmun  (official  residence) ; here  the 
pusang  men  were  dismissed,  to  return,  for  the  most  part, 
to  their  homes  in  the  mountains.’’ 

It  would  be  expected  that  people  living  on  the  other 
side  of  the  globe  would  have  customs  differing  from  ours. 
The  following  may  be  mentioned  as  some  of  the  things 
which  go  by  contraries:  Hats  are  not  removed  by 
visitors  when  they  enter  a house,  nor  in  greeting  an 
acquaintance  on  the  street.  But  the  shoes,  which  re- 
semble our  slippers,  are  left  at  the  door  when  a call 
is  made.  The  Korean  language  is  written  not  in  words, 
but  by  syllables.  It  can  therefore  be  written  so  as  to  be 


132 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


read  intelligently  either  up  or  down  or  from  left  to 
right  or  vice  versd.  The  usual  way  of  writing  and  the 
only  way  of  printing,  however,  is  in  vertical  columns, 
and  the  first  column  is  on  the  right.  Often  the  greeting 
and  name  of  the  writer  come  first.  'Watches  are  not 
• carried  in  a watch-pocket,  but  hanging  from  the  girdle. 
The  consequence  is  that  when  people  desire  to  know  the 
time  they  hold  their  watches  upside  down.  When  in 
the  school  the  pupils  desired  to  know  the  time  from  the 
teacher’s  watch,  the  latter  had  to  hold  it  reversed  or 
difficulty  was  caused.  The  people  sit  down  at  their 
work  much  more  than  we  do.  A woman  sits  to  wash 
and  iron,  a carpenter  sits  to  plane  and  saw,  and  the 
laborer  to  chop  wood.  The  law  of  the  road  is  to  turn 
to  the  left : this  is  particularly  confusing  to  the  new- 
comer. The  method  of  counting  on  the  hands  is 
also  peculiar : All  the  fingers  are  closed.  One  extends 
the  thumb,  two  the  forefinger,  and  so  on ; then  six  closes 
the  little  finger,  seven  the  third  finger,  and  so  on ; while 
eleven  extends  the  thumb,  and  so  on.  As  in  China,  the 
last  name  comes  first ; so  that  if  a man’s  name  is  written 
Kim  Chul  Mo,  he  is  Mr.  Kim.  But  he  is  not  addressed 
in  that  way  ; he  is  called  Kim  So-Pang,”  “ Kim  Mr.” 
So  all  titles  follow  the  family  name.  Hence  a gentle- 
man is  not  called  Count  Min,”  but  ‘‘Min  Count.” 
In  reviews  the  cavalry  is  drawn  up  with  the  tails 
of  the  horses  to  the  street.  When  the  four  quarters 
of  the  compass  are  mentioned,  it  is  in  the  order  east. 


. DOMESTIC  LIFE, 


133 


west,  south,  north.  So  points  between  are  not  south- 
east,” ‘^north-west,”  but  “east-south,”  “west-north.” 
The  farmer’s  plough  throws  the  furrows  .to  the  left, 
and  instead  of  making  his  field  level  he  throws  it  into 
ridges  looking  very  much  like  those  in  a field  of  culti- 
vated maize.  The  saws  fcjj^aking  planks  and  boards 
have  their  teeth  pointed  awty  jfrom  the  centre,  toward 
the  ends,  instead  of  all  pointidfctbe  one  way.  Men 
are  accustomed  to  go  out — “ take  th^^putings  ” — in  the 
daytime.  After  the  curfew  rings  the  Bften  retire  from 
the  streets  and  the  women  go  out.  In  fractions  the 
denominator  comes  first:  not  “ three-fburths,”  but 

“ fourths-three,”  is  the  order.  In  entertainments  the 
place  of  honor  is  at  the  left  of  the  host.  The  seasons 
are  in  the  same  order,  but  the  first  three  months  are 
spring,  the  next  summer,  and  so  on,  irrespective  of 
temperature  and  the  sun’s  course  in  the  heavens. 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  foregoing  that  the  foreigner 
in  Korea  needs  to  exercise  care  or  he  will  continually 
outrage  the  proprieties. 


CHAPTER  yil. 

ATTIRE  AND  ADORNMENT. 

rriHE  traveler  who  for  the  first  time  approaches  from 
the  west  the  eastern  shores  of  Asia  is  very  likely  to 
have  his  sensibilities  considerably  shocked.  Before  he 
gets  in  sight  of  the  coast — nay,  sometimes  a hundred 
and  fifty  miles  out — he  will,  if  it  be  night,  be  surprised 
at  seeing  lights  scattered  over  the  waters,  which  will  be 
found  to  be  on  board  fishing-j links,  fleets  of  which  are 
always  out  in  fine  weather.  If  it  be  daytime  and 
summer,  not  only  the  shape  of  the  boats  but  the  attire 
of  the  boatmen  will  attest  the  entrance  into  a different 
civilization.*'  Crossing  in  June,  the  party  to  which  the 
writer  belonged  was  prepared  for  what  was  coming  by 
the  appearance  of  a crew  of  Japanese,  for  whose  attire 
certainly  a yard  of  sheeting  apiece  would  have  been 
ample.  As  we  gained  the  coast  and  entered  the  harbor 
we  learned  that  this  was  the  usual  summer  costume  of 
the  boatmen,  since  it  was  the  exception  to  see  a man  in 
a more  complete  dress.  After  we  landed  and  began  to 
take  excursions  in  the  jin-rickshaws  we  grew  accustomed 
to  having  the  coolies  strip  off  all  but  the  waist-cloth  soon 
after  they  left  town,  and  nearly  all  the  runners  we  met 

134 


ATTIRE  AND  AD0RN3IENT. 


135 


were  in  the  same  undressed  condition.  We  learned  that 
the  Japanese  in  native  employ,  in  deference  to  the  wishes 
of  their  employers,  go  more  fully  dressed,  and,  except 
the  boatmen  in  the  harbor,  the  people  generally  in  the 
city  do  not  affect  so  close  an  approach  to  nudity  as  is  the 
habit  in  the  country  districts. 

The  fabrics  of  which  dress  is  composed  in  Korea  are 
cotton — the  ordinary  unbleached  or  bleached  muslin — 
silks  (native,  Japanese  and  Chinese)  and  grass  cloths ; 
no  woollen  garments  are  found  there. 

Sheep  are  not  raised  in  the  peninsula,  except  one 
or  two  flocks  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  capital  and 
a few  in  the  northern  part,  near  the  Chinese  border. 
The  resources  of  the  people  do  not  allow  them  to  in- 
dulge in  woollen  goods. 

The  prevailing  color  of  clothing  is,  from  its  nature, 
white.  But  the  white  cotton  goods  are,  for  women,  often 
dyed  blue,  for  boys  and  girls  red  or  pink.  The  silks  are 
of  all  colors  except  black,  and  the  gaudiest  materials  are 
made  up  for  the  men.  Black  is  used  only  in  the  hat. 
The  play  of  color  on  a Korean  street,  especially  when 
viewed  from  an  eminence,  is  very  varied  and  bright. 
Green,  red,  pink,  white  and  blue  mingle  in  kaleidos- 
copic richness.  Sometimes  all  of  these  are  found  in  a 
single  costume.  In  style  there  is  no  change.  The 
fashion  once  set,  everybody  follows  it  and  sticks  to  it. 
An  odd  commentary  on  this  is  the  fact  that  the 
Chinese,  who  are  the  embodiment  of  conservatism. 


136 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


call  the  Koreans  old-fashioned  ” ! The  present  style 
of  dress  is  conceded  to  be  about  four  hundred  years 
old,  and  corresponds  with  the  Chinese  costume  of  the 
fifteenth  century.  Since  the  model  for  dress  is  Chinese, 
not  Japanese,  nudity  does  not  prevail  in  Korea. 

One  of  the  first  matters  of  concern  in  the  toilet  of 
these  people  is  the  hair.  The  fashion  is  different  for 
men,  boys  and  women.  Boys  wear  all  their  hair  down 
their  backs  in  a braid.  This  must  not  be  confounded 
with  the  queue  of  the  Chinese.  The  Chinaman  shaves 
all  the  hair  except  that  on  the  crown.  The  Korean  boy 
has  all  his  hair  braided.  In  dressing  the  hair  all  Koreans 
use  a pomade  into  the  composition  of  which  lampblack  or 
some  similar  substance  enters,  since  they  desire  the  hair 
to  be  as  black  and  shiny  as  possible.  The  consequence 
is  that  the  boys  soil  sadly  the  backs  and  shoulders  of 
their  tunics  and  coats  with  the  braid  blowing  loosely 
in  the  wind.  This  braid  down  the  back  is  the  sign  of 
the  hoy — that  is,  of  the  unmarried  or  unbetrothed  male. 
As  soon  as  a boy  becomes  betrothed  or  married,  he  is 
a man,  and  the  transition  is  shown  in  the  style  of  dress- 
ing the  hair.  When  a wife  is  chosen  for  him  and  his 
partner  for  life  is  engaged,  his  hair  is  unbraided,  a spot 
twice  as  big  as  a silver  dollar  is  shaved  on  the  top  of  his 
head,  just  forward  of  the  crown,  and  all  the  hair  is  then 
combed  up  toward  a spot  about  two  inches  from  the  top 
of  the  forehead,  and  there  gathered  into  what  foreigners 
call  a top-knot,”  but  which  is  named  by  Koreans  the 


ATTIRE  AND  ADORNMENT. 


137 


al  or  This  knot  is  about  two  inches  high, 

and  sticks  up  from  the  head  like  a little  blunt  horn. 
This  is  wound  with  a cord  so  as  to  keep  it  in  place. 
The  next  operation  is  the  binding  on  of  the  mangon. 
This  is  a band  about  an  inch  and  a half  wide,  of  woven 
horsehair,  which  is  bound  around  the  head,  the  bottom 
of  it  coming  below  the  middle  of  the  forehead.  It  is 
drawn  around  the  head  tightly  and  tied  behind.  The 
operation  is  a painful  one,  for  so  tightly  is  this  band  or 
crownless  cap  drawn  that  the  bottom  of  it  presses  deeply 
into  the  bones  of  the  skull,  and  after  it  has  been  worn 
for  a season  it  leaves  a permanent  crease  or  depression 
little  less  than  an  eighth  of  an  inch  in  depth,  which  can 
be  distinctly  traced  almost  around  the  head.  The  pur- 
pose of  this  is  to  keep  the  hair  in  place.  One  of  the 
pocket  toilet  articles  is  a little  bone  or  tortoise-shell  im- 
plement like  a very  small  paper-knife.  With  this  loose 
and  straggling  hairs  are  stroked  up  under  the  band,  and 
in  the  first  month  of  wearing  the  mangon  it  is  often  used 
to  relieve  the  pain  of  the  pressure  upon  the  skull  by  be- 
ing pushed  up  between  the  skin  and  the  mangon.  The 
pain  attendant  upon  assuming  the  mangon  passes  away 
after  a month’s  wearing,  and  it  becomes  an  almost  indis- 
pensable article  of  costume.  With  this  the  men  frequent- 
ly wear  little  pins  and  combs  of  tortoise-shell,  stained 
bone  or  even  jade.  Once  a boy  puts  this  on,  he  is  a man. 
He  has  passed  beyond  the  period  when  he  may  be  ad- 
dressed with  impunity  in  the  ‘Mow”  or  ‘Mmpolite” 


138 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


forms  of  speech.  He  has  reached  the  stage  when  you 
must  say  and  to  him. 

The  women  dress  their  hair  in  a very  neat  fashion  by 
parting  it  in  the  middle,  then  combing  it  straight  back 
and  coiling  it  rather  lower  on  the  back  of  the  neck  than 
is  done  in  the  Greek  coil.  Through  this  a pin  is  neatly 
thrust  to  hold  it  in  place.  This  pin  is  sometimes  of 
tortoise-shell,  often  of  silver-plated  metal.  But  one 
great  ambition  of  a Korean  female  is  to  possess  a pin 
of  real  silver.  Such  pins  are  round,  about  a quarter 
of  an  inch  in  diameter  and  perhaps  five  inches  long. 
The  head  is  often  decorated  with  precious  stones — -jade, 
pearl  or  agate.  It  is  commonly  the  case  that  women 
who  take  service  in  foreign  households  as  nurses  or 
seamstresses  devote  a part  of  their  first  two  or  three 
months’  wages  to  the  purchase  of  one  of  these  pins, 
costing  from  four  to  ten  dollars. 

The  articles  of  clothing  commonly  worn  are  a hat 
— sometimes  two  or  three  even,  counting  the  mangoiiy 
are  worn  at  one  time — a tunic,  loose  and  reaching  to  the 
M^aist ; loose,  baggy  trousers  supported  by  a girdle  and 
gathered  in  at  the  knee  by  leggings  which  tie  at  the 
ankles  ; stockings  padded  with  cotton ; and,  over  all, 
a coat  the  sleeves  of  which  are  wide-flowing  and  reach 
to  the  hips  or  lower,  and  are  sewed  up  from  the  bottom 
to  the  wrist  so  as  to  form  very  capacious  pockets,  where 
merchants  often  carry  goods  in  astonishing  quantities. 
In  these  pockets  the  petty  official  carries  his  fan,  his 


ATTIRE  AND  ADORNMENT. 


139 


handkerchief,  his  writing-tablets  and  sundry  articles  of 
every-day  use.  Not  to  be  forgotten  are  the  purse  for 
coins,  the  knife  and  the  tobacco-pouch  and  pipe,  with 
flint  and  tinder  or  matches,  without  which  no  Korean  is 
dressed.  In  the  case  of  men  of  high  rank,  however, 
these  latter  articles  are  carried  by  his  servants,  a great 
retinue  of  whom  attend  him.  Dealing  with  each  article 
in  turn,  we  may  find  matter  interesting  and  novel. 

Of  all  lands  in  the  world,  Korea  is  the  land  of  hats. 
There  is  some  variety,  but  no  change  in  styl^.  Except- 
ing the  forests  of  the  Amazon,  where  hats  like  umbrellas 
are  worn  to  shed  the  snakes  which  rain  down  from  the 
dense  overhanging  branches,  Korea  leads  the  world  in 
the  superficial  area  of  head-gear.  Hats  may  be  seen 
measuring  over  two  feet  from  rim  to  crown.  Nor  is 
this  an  uncommon  size.  But  the  usual  hat  is  of  black 
woven  horsehair,  silk  or  split  bamboo,  resembling  buck- 
ram, with  straight  brim  and  crown,  square  on  the  top, 
the  crown  not  large  enough  to  fit  down  upon  the  head, 
but  kept  in  place  by  the  crownless  hat  or  mangon  used 
in  dressing  the  hair  and  by  ribbons  underneath  the 
chin.  Some  of  the  mandarins  have,  instead  of  ribbons, 
beautiful  strings  of  amber  or  tortoise-shell  beads.  This 
is  the  dress  hat,  corresponding  to  our  derby  or  our  silk 
hat.  Often  not  merely  one  hat  is  worn  at  a time,  but 
sometimes  three  go  together.  First  there  is  the  mangon; 
then  another  indicating  that  the  wearer  has  ^Haken  the 
quaga^^  or  passed  an  examination  for  the  rank  of 


140 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


scholar;”  and  over  these  the  usual  straight-brimmed 
black  hat.  The  quaga  hat  is  of  peculiar  shape,  being, 
as  one  might  say,  two-storied.  The  front  part  over  the 
forehead  is  quite  low,  and  the  hat  rises  abruptly  from 
this  low  part  near  the  centre  of  the  head,  so  that  the 
back  is  highest.  At  the  palace  the  outside  hat  is  dis- 
carded, and  instead  of  the  quaga  one  of  similar  shape 
is  used,  but  with  two  appendages  looking  like  little 
wings  joining  at  the  back  and  reaching  around  loosely 
to  just  above  the  ears.  These  ear-tabs  let  loose  are 
said  to  typify  the  ear  of  the  servants  and  courtiers  open 
to  the  commands  of  the  king.  His  Majesty  wears  the 
same  kind  of  a hat,  but  in  his  case  the  ear-tabs  are  tied 
up,  as  of  course  there  is  no  one  to  issue  commands  to 
him. 

The  largest  hats  are  of  three  varieties:  the  coolie’s, 
the  mourner’s  and  the  monk’s.  The  former  is  very 
large,  nearly  equaling  the  size  of  the  mourner’s,  but 
the  shape  is  slightly  different.  The  shape  of  all  three 
is  that  of  a very  flat  cone,  but  the  edges  differ.  The 
coolie’s  hat  has  a straight  edge  ; the  monk’s  is  scalloped 
with  the  convex  outward ; while  the  mourner’s  hat 
has  scallops  with  the  curve  inward.  The  monk’s  hat 
has  a much  smaller  surface,  is  much  thicker  and  more 
massive,  and  the  diameter  from  edge  to  edge  is  about 
eighteen  inches.  The  material  is  braided  rush.  The 
coolie’s  work-hat  is  usually  of  slits  of  wood,  verj^  thin, 
and  is  made  very  much  like  a splint  basket.  The  mourn- 


ATTIRE  AND  ADORNMENT. 


141 


er’s  hat  is  larger  than  either  of  these,  is  usually  made  of 
straw,  and  when  put  on  level  covers  the  entire  face. 
These  hats  all  have  a framework  in  the  crown  so  as 
to  fit  evenly  on  the  head.  The  reason  assigned  by 
some  for  the  size  of  the  mourner’s  hat  is  that  Heaven 
is  angry  with  the  family  of  the  deceased,  and  so  the 
face  of  the  mourner  must  be  hidden  from  the  sky. 
This  hat,  with  the  additional  mourner’s  badge  of  a 
narrow  strip  of  grass  cloth,  twelve  inches  by  eight, 
fastened  to  two  short  reeds  and  held  so  as  to  screen 
the  lower  part  of  the  face,  makes  the  entire  head  of 
the  mourner  invisible.  It  is  worn  only  by  male  adults. 
It  was  by  adopting  mourners’  garb  as  a disguise  that  the 
Roman  Catholic  missionaries  were  able  to  penetrate  and 
stay  in  the  country.  Etiquette  forbids  looking  under 
the  hat  of  a mourner,  and  this  added  to  their  security. 

A person  in  mourning  is  not  allowed  inside  the  palace 
grounds.  Consequently,  a death  in  the  family  of  a 
courtier  necessitates  withdrawal  from  the  court  for  a 
period  of  three  years,  during  which  time  the  official  is 
in  the  garb  of  sorrow.  He  may,  however,  at  the  com- 
mand of  the  king,  put  off  his  mourning  sooner,  espe- 
cially if  His  Majesty  summon  him  to  the  palace.  In 
the  case  of  the  death  of  a member  of  the  royal  family 
the  whole  nation  goes  into  mourning.  Further  details 
as  to  the  mourning  garb  will  be  given  later. 

Other  shapes  of  hats  are  worn  by  different  classes  of 
people.  Soldiers  have  a uniform  hat  of  rough  felt. 


142 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


Keesamg  wear  a hat  which  is  distinctive.  On  the  days 
of  examination  the  candidates  have  caps  of  peculiar 
shapes  which  mark  them  as  aspirants.  Women  wear 
none  except  in  wdnter,  when  they  have  a fur  hat,  worn 
also  by  boys  and  men,  which  is  rimless.  For  them 
the  coat  worn  as  a veil  serves  instead  of  hat  or  bonnet. 

In  Korea,  as  in  China,  it  is  a mark  of  respect  to  keep 
on  the  hat  in  the  presence  of  others.  When  my  teacher, 
soon  after  beginning 'to  give  me  lessons  in  the  language, 
removed  his  hat  in  my  presence  to  adjust  his  quaga  hat, 
he  looked  askant  at  me  to  see  whether  I knew  this  was 
a breach  of  courtesy.  It  is  said  that  so  peculiar  and  so 
nicely  settled  is  the  way  of  wearing  the  hat  that  the 
rank  of  high  officials  can  be  told  by  the  set  of  the  head- 
gear,  it  being,  in  the  words  of  a native,  not  too  much 
so,  nor  too  much  soj* 

The  tunic  or  short  jacket  is  worn  in  place  of  a shirt. 
It  has  sleeves,  and  the  cut  resembles  that  of  a very 
short  sack  coat.  It  is  a very  easy  and  comfortable 
garment.  Of  the  trousers  not  much  need  be  said. 
They  are  loose  and  baggy,  resembling  those  of  zouaves. 
They  are  gathered  in  at  the  lower  part  of  the  leg  by 
leggings,  w^hich  are  fastened  quite  tightly  from  knee 
to  ankle.  Next  come  the  stockings,  which  are  quite 
peculiar.  They  are  invariably  white,  and  are  made 
by  putting  between  two  thicknesses  of  cotton  sheeting 
or  silk  a thick  padding  of  native  cotton.  They  are  not 
clumsy,  as  one  would  suppose ; on  the  contrary,  they  are 


ATTIRE  AND  ADORNMENT. 


143 


quite  shapely.  The  paddiug  is  uecessitated  by  the  con- 
struction of  the  shoes.  These  latter  are  of  several  kinds 
—of  wood,  straw,  twine,  cloth  and  leather.  The  straw 
shoes  are  often  worn  without  stockings — nearly  always 
so  by  coolies  and  by  those  whose  work  is  dirty  and  car- 
ries them  into  the  streets.  Wooden  shoes  are  hewed  out 
of  blocks  of  wood  and  set  on  two  pieces  of  timber  so  as 
to  raise  them  about  three  inches  above  the  ground ; 
hence  they  serve  as  rain-shoes.  This  kind  is  very 
hard,  and  of  course  can  not  be  nicely  fitted  to  the  feet. 
The  padded  stockings  therefore  render  easy  and  com- 
fortable what  would  otherwise  be  almost  unwearable. 
To  walk  in  these  requires  considerable  practice.  A 
foreign  lady  who  desired  one  day  to  step  outside  the 
door  into  the  mud  thought  a pair  of  these  shoes  stand- 
ing at  the  door  very  convenient.  She  put  them  on  and 
started  ofP,  but  at  the  second  step  found  herself  pitched 
forward  at  full  length  into  the  mud.  The  straw  shoes 
are  cheap,  a pair  costing  less  than  a cent,  but  of  course 
they  do  not  last  long.  They  may  serve  for  one  day^s 
travel  if  the  road  be  not  too  rough.  The  twine  shoes 
are  of  various  degrees  of  fineness,  the  best  being  very 
shapely  and  pretty,  and  they  are  kept  very  white  by 
washing  and  the  application  of  whitening.  They  are 
held  on  by  the  big  toe^s  being  thrust  through  a hole 
left  for  that  purpose  in  the  shoe;  the  heel  also  binds  just 
behind  the  ankle.  A rawhide  sole  is  often  sewed  on, 
making  them  very  durable.  The  heels  are  not  built 


144 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


up  as  they  are  on  our  shoes.  The  leather  and  cloth 
articles  are  not  raised  from  the  ground,  but  have  very 
thick  soles  with  hob-nails  on  the  bottom.  They  are 
very  neat  in  appearance,  and  look  as  though  they  might 
be  worn  with  comfort  by  any  one.  A very  short  trial 
by  a European,  however,  makes  evident  the  necessity 
for  padded  stockings,  for  they  are  full  of  prominences 
and  bunches  which  would  soon  produce  blisters  or 
corns.  Courtiers  and  officials  when  going  to  the  palace 
wear  a short  boot  of  dark  cloth  or  felt,  which,  so  far  as 
ascertained,  is  worn  nowhere  else.  Upon  going  into  a 
house  a Korean  leaves  his  shoes  at  the  door  and  enters  in 
his  stocking  feet,  and  servants  move  about  in  the  house 
shoeless  and  noiselessly.  To  one  who  has  lived  in  Japan, 
and  has  been  annoyed  by  the  scuffiing  of  the  servants’ 
shoes,  unfastened  at  the  heel,  the  relief  is  great.  There 
the  house-slipper  is  simply  a flat  mat  of  woven  straw 
with  a small  loop  in  front,  which  is  grasped  between 
the  first  and  second  toes.  The  result  is  that  the  front 
or  toe  of  the  slipper  is  lifted  from  the  floor,  but  the 
heel  scrapes  and  rubs  it,  producing  a sound  anything 
but  soothing  to  weak  nerves.  The  Korean  fashion  is 
decidedly  an  improvement  upon  the  style  in  Japan. 

The  coats  are  made  in  several  shapes.  One  is  very 
much  like  the  full-dress  evening  “clawhammer”  style 
with  the  tails  greatly  lengthened.  Another  is  Hke  an 
exaggerated  sack  coat  with  the  flowing  sleeves  already 
mentioned.  The  color  of  these  is  often  white ; for  boys. 


ATTIRE  AND  ADORNMENT, 


145 


especially  those  engaged  to  be  married,  pink ; sometimes 
a pale  blue  is  the  shade,  and  not  seldom  green.  Often 
two  or  three  coats  made  of  silks  of  different  colors  are 
worn  at  once,  the  effect  sometimes  being  very  pretty, 
often  very  odd.  The  winter  overcoat  is  made  of  the 
same  materials,  but  is  padded  with  cotton  and  quilted. 
Those  worn  by  the  wealthy  are  often  trimmed,  and 
occasionally  lined,  with  fur  of  the  s^de  or  mink.  For 
winter  wear  the  tunic  and  trousers  i 
quilted,  so  that  people  endure  well 
their  steady  cold  season. 

The  dress  of  women  differs  only 
above  described.  They  use  the  same  shoes, 
leather,  as  the  men,  the  same  padded  stockiu 
trousers  and  leggings,  but  over  them  a full 
ally  colored  blue  (girls  usually  wear  pink)  and 
below  the  knee. 

Most  of  the  women  seen  in  the  streets  are  models  of 
neatness,  their  shoes,  stockings,  skirts  and  leggings 
shining  like  encrusted  snow  in  the  sunshine.  They 
are  fond  of  adornment,  and  are  skilled  in  the  use  of 
powder  to  whiten  the  skin.  They  wear  not  one  wed- 
ding-ring but  two,  and  these  of  silver,  very  thick  and 
massive.  Exceedingly  few  of  them  have  gold  orna- 
ments. 

The  most  peculiar  article  of  woman’s  wear  is  the 
coat  worn  over  the  head.  This  is  made  of  green  or 

blue  cloth  or  silk.  The  account  of  the  origin  of  this  « 
10 


146 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


custom  is  that  in  former  times  the  country  was  exposed 
to  assaults  from  different  quarters,  and  men  were  often 
summoned  hastily  from  their  employments  to  take  the 
field  against  the  enemy,  not  having  time  to  go  to  their 
homes  for  extra  clothing.  Under  these  circumstances 
women  made  coats  for  their  husbands,  and  went  with 
the  men  to  their  work,  wearing  the  garments  thrown 
loosely  over  their  heads,  that  at  a moment^s  notice  they 
might  hand  to  the  men  the  needed  extra  wnq>s.  What- 
ever the  truth  of  the  story,  that  is  evidently  not  the 
purpose  for  which  they  are  now  worn  ; for  outside  of  the 
fact  that  the  coats  are  too  small  for  wear  as  a protection 
from  cold,  they  would  be  of  little  use,  so  light  is  their 
material.  The  prettiness  of  the  story  reconciles  one  to 
the  ugliness  of  the  spectacle  presented  by  the  mummy- 
like figures  stalking  around  the  streets  with  faces  hidden 
and  empty  sleeves  flapping  derisively,  if  not  sugges- 
tively, from  about  the  region  of  the  ears. 

Mention  should  not  be  omitted  of  the  court-dress  of 
officials,  which,  in  addition  to  the  items  already  de- 
scribed, consists  of  a dark-green  overcoat,  on  the  back 
and  breast  of  which  is  worn  a square  of  cloth  upon 
which  figures  are  embroidered.  These  figures  are  either 
cranes  or  tigers,  the  former  denoting  civil  rank,  the  lat-* 
ter  military.  All  officials  below  a certain  grade  may 
wear  only  one  of  these  figures ; all  above  that  grade 
wear  two.  In  addition  to  these  signs  of  rank,  there 
^ is  another,  worn  on  the  mangon  behind  the  ear.  The 


ATTIRE  AND  ADORNMENT. 


147 


cham-way  wears  a white  button,  usually  of  jade,  while 
all  above  cham-pan  sport  the  gold  button.  When  His 
Majesty  honors  a foreigner  with  native  official  rank, 
he  often  sends  with  this  the  badges  of  the  rank  as  a 
present. 

In  summer  natives  have  a peculiar  device  for  keeping 
cool.  Next  the  body  is  worn  a framework  made  of  split 
bamboo  woven  in  fancy  designs.  This  is  so  made  that 
it  is  supported  from  the  shoulders  and  springs  out  from 
the  body.  It  therefore  holds  the  tunic  away  from  the 
person,  and  permits  the  air  to  penetrate  beneath  the 
clothing  and  circulate  freely.  On  the  arms  are  also 
worn  cuffs  woven  of  horsehair,  which  serve  the  same 
purpose  for  the  arms. 

The  color  of  mourning  is  a dull  straw  hue.  Gar- 
ments for  mourners  are  often  made  of  grass  cloth,  which 
has  that  shade.  For  rain-coats  some  Koreans  have 
overgarments  or  capes  made  of  straw  or  grass  so  woven 
as  to  shed  the  rain  like  the  thatch  of  a roof.  This  gar- 
ment is  very  common  in  Japan — more  so  than  in  Korea. 
The  usual  means  of  keeping  off  the  rain  is  a mackin- 
tosh made  of  oiled  paper,  which  is  excellently  adapted 
for  its  purpose.  Instead  of  an  umbrella  a sort  of  roof 
of  the  same  material  is  used,  which  is  put  on  a frame- 
work of  bamboo,  adjustable  over  the  ordinary  hat.  The 
rain  thus  falls  upon  the  coat,  and  thence  is  carried  to 
the  ground.  Rain-shoes  are  also  made,  covered  with 
the  same  material  and  then  varnished. 


148 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


As  already  related,  the  materials  rauge,  according 
to  the  wealth  of  the  wearer,  from  a very  coarse  and 
cheap  grass  cloth  to  fine  Chinese  silks. 

When  all  is  said,  and  it  is  remembered  that  the  pre- 
vailing color  is  white,  and  that  clothing  is  therefore 
easily  soiled  and  bears  tlie  mark  of  every  spot,  it  must 
be  admitted  that  Koreans  are  not  so  dirty  as  some  would 
claim.  Mechanics  after  a day’s  work  wash  themselves 
and  put  on  clean  clothes  before  going  home,  and  after 
that,  on  their  way,  look  like  gentlemen  of  leisure  tak- 
ing an  evening  stroll. 

Watches  are  worn,  like  the  knife,  hanging  from  the 
belt.  Usually  they  are  enclosed  in  an  embroidered 
holder  very  much  like  that  used  by  many  gentlemen 
to  fix  the  watch  in  at  the  bed-side  at  night.  Some- 
times they  are  carried  in  a little  detachable  pocket,  like 
a lady’s  embroidered  hand-bag,  which  is  attached  to  the 
girdle. 

A comparison  of  the  dress  of  Koreans  and  Japanese 
as  seen  every  day  among  the  working-classes  is  largely 
in  favor  of  the  former  as  regards  modesty.  At  the 
same  time,  if  we  except  the  Korean  gentlemen  in  full 
attire,  we  cannot  claim  for  the  former  the  element  of 
the  picturesque  as  it  exists  in  Japan. 


CHAPTER  yilL 


WOMAN  AND  HER  WORK. 

T71R0M  the  seclusion  of  the  women  it  might  be  in- 
ferred  that  in  the  social  and  political  economy  of 
the  country  they  had  little  to  do.  In  perhaps  nothing 
else  has  so  mistaken  an  impression  gotten  abroad.  So, 
too,  it  has  been  supposed  that  they  were  nonentities  at 
home.  They  have  no  part  in  the  educational  system. 
While  we  hear  now  and  again  of  educated  females,  and 
while  such  figure  in  the  fictions  and  tales  of  the  penin- 
sula, it  is  in  such  a way  as  clearly  to  show  that  they  are 
the  exceptions,  and  are  the  wonder  of  their  connections. 
The  way  in  which  a maiden  is  disposed  of  in  marriage 
by  her  parents  seems  to  leave  her  little  of  independence ; 
and  the  fact  that  she  may  be  divorced  or  deserted  by  her 
husband,  with  no  redress,  would  seem  to  leave  her  piti- 
ably situated.  Yet  a number  of  facts  make  it  clear  that 
her  position  is  by  no  means  so  bad  as  might  be  supposed. 
It  has  already  been  shown  that  she  is  addressed  with  re- 
spect. Her  husband  and  her  children  use  what  are  called 
the  polite  or  honorific  forms  in  speaking  to  her.  It  is  the 
habit  of  the  men  to  consult  their  wives  in  matters  of 
business,  and  the  native  shrewdness  of  the  weaker  sex 

149 


150 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


is  often  manifested  in  the  disposal  of  spare  capital. 
Most  people  in  Korea  find,  sooner  or  later,  that  the 
king  pays  good  heed  to  Her  Majesty’s  suggestions, 
and  at  times  she  does  the  talking,  of  course  from  be- 
hind a screen.  In  a word,  in  Cho  Son,  as  in  America, 
the  lady  of  the  house  is  a very  important  personage, 
and  can  do  much  to  make  home  comfortable  or  the 
reverse,  as  she  holds  the  key  to  the  situation.  Natu- 
rally, from  the  peculiarity  of  their  mode  of  life  aud 
from  the  seclusion  which  limits  them  to  the  female 
apartments,  boldness  is  not  a trait  of  Korean  women. 
Of  the  few  women  seen  by  the  author  during  his  resi- 
dence in  Korea,  only  two,  and  they  were  keesang  (dan- 
cing-girls), were  anything  but  modest.  The  only  native 
women  who  visited  our  house  in  other  than  a menial 
capacity  were  patterns  of  modesty  and  of  charming 
simplicity.  One  of  these,  the  wife  of  my  instructor 
in  Korean,  was  an  example  of  wifely  devotion.  Every 
word  of  her  husband  evoked  a coy  smile,  and  evidently 
he  was  to  her  the  acme  of  perfection.  At  the  same 
time,  it  was  clear  that  she  was  the  darling  of  his  heart. 
Nothing  appeared  wanting  to  complete  their  happiness 
but  a little  one  to  call  out  the  parental  affection.  The 
fondness  of  the  fathers  for  children,  as  made  evident 
wherever  one  went  in  the  city  or  country,  was  certain 
proof  that  the  manage  de  convenance  as  practiced  in 
Korea  is  not  as  unfortunate  in  its  results  as  is  said  to 
be  the  case  in  our  own  land. 


WOMAN  AND  HER  WORK. 


151 


The  labors  of  a woman  in  Korea  lie  in  much  the 
same  direction  as  in  the  United  States.  She  is  queen 
of  the  kitchen  and  laundry.  She  is  seamstress  and 
tailor,  and  she  varies  the  monotony  of  her  existence 
by  embroidering  in  silk  the  badges  of  rank  of  her 
husband.  The  cuisine  of  the  Korean  is  very  limited. 
Rice  is  the  staple,  and  that  in  a boiled  state.  Soup  is 
as  common  as  gravy  is  in  our  own  country,  aud  serves 
much  the  same  purpose.  Meat  is  not  so  common  as 
with  us,  and  when  used  is  generally  broiled.  But  with 
the  aid  of  vegetables,  and  especially  the  red  pepper  (not 
so  pungent  as  is  that  vegetable  with  us),  she  makes  a 
variety  of  dishes  which  seems  to  satisfy  the  appetite  of 
her  family.  Some  housewives  there,  as  here,  are  noted 
for  their  skill  in  making  certain  dishes ; and  one  of  the 
most  envied  of  accomplishments  is  the  concocting  of  a 
dish  which  is  about  as  savory  in  its  odor  as  the  sauer- 
kraut of  the  Germans,  and  which  is  said  to  resemble  it 
in  its  taste  and  composition.  One  of  the  tribulations  of 
Korean  brides  is  the  reminiscence  by  the  husband  of  the 
choice  dishes  his  mother  used  to  present.  Canning  and 
preserving  of  fruit  are  not  practiced  by  them,  for  sugar  is 
almost  unknown.  Candy  is  made  from  honey  and  vari- 
ous seeds  and  beans.  Some  of  their  fruits,  notably  the 
persimmon,  are  dried,  and  form  the  relishes  of  many  a 
meal.  Bread-making  in  none  of  its  branches  bears  the 
slightest  resemblance  to  our  methods.  Koreans  have  no 
flour-mills,  so  far  as  I have  seen.  Hand-mills  similar 


152 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


to  those  used  in  Palestine  are  used  for  cracking  and  tak- 
ing off  the  hulls  of  peas  and  beans,  but  flour  is  literally 
pounded  out  in  a large  mortar  hewn  out  of  wood. 
Wheat  is  grown’  only  in  small  patches,  and  is  a late 
acquisition  from  the  Occident.  In  the  mortars  used 
are  employed  two  kinds  of  pestles.  One  of  them  is 
made  of  hard,  well-seasoned  oak,  small  in  the  middle, 
and  is  reversible — either  end  may  be  used.  This  kind 
is  generally  handled  by  a woman.  The  other  is  in  the 
shape  of  a large  hammer,  the  head  a foot  or  more  in 
length,  two  or  two  and  a half  inches  square,  and  is  of 
stone  or  iron  with  a wooden  handle.  This  is  wielded 
by  a man,  and  is  a heavy  and  cumbrous  implement. 
In  this  way  a very  fine  quality  of  flour  is  made.  What 
is  called  bread  is  made  of  rice  flour,  and  does  not  resem- 
ble our  staff  of  life ; with  Koreans  it  does  not  occupy 
so  large  a place  as  does  bread  in  our  dietary.  Rice  is 
their  principal  food.  In  making  rice  bread  no  leaven 
is  used.  It  is  made  principally  by  the  men,  and  re- 
quires adult  muscle.  After  the  flour  is  mixed  with 
water  the  dough  thus  made  is  laid  on  a platform 
about  the  size  of  a door,  and  then  kneaded  by  being 
beaten  with  heavy  wooden  mallets  having  long  handles 
and  swung  over  the  shoulders  of  stalwart  men.  A 
woman  often  helps. by  keeping  the  dough  turned,  deftly 
curling  the  edges  between  the  strokes  of  the  mallet.  It 
is  thus  beaten  into  a mass  that  is  soggy  beyond  descrip- 
tion. To  a European  it  looks,  and  doubtless  is,  thor- 


WOMAN  AND  HER  WORK. 


153 


oughly  indigestible.  After  the  kneading  it  is  cut  or 
chopped  into  strips,  rolled  into  pieces  about  the  size 
of  sausages  and  toasted  over  a charcoal  fire.  Koreans 
are  a dyspeptic  folk,  and  the  bread  they  eat  would  fully 
account  for  all  their  trials.  A sort  of  muffin  is  made 
by  boiling  maize  until  it  is  soft,  running  it  through  a 
mill  which  mashes  it  into  pulp,  drying  it  out  and  toast- 
ing it  as  muffins.  There  is  no  butter  used — cows  are  not 
kept  for  their  milk. 

But,  all  things  considered,  cooking  occupies  only  a 
modicum  of  the  Korean  wife’s  time.  Her  most  weary- 
ing and  incessant  labor  is  at  the  laundry.  The  most  of 
this  is  done  away  from  home.  It  has  been  explained 
that  the  water  for  household  uses  is  generally  supplied 
by  the  water-carrier,  who  is  paid  for  his  services.  Econ- 
omy is  so  necessary  in  family  life  that  the  supply  of 
water  obtained  in  this  way  is  limited  to  the  demands 
of  the  cuisine  and  the  bath.  Washing  is  done,  there- 
fore, at  the  well-side,  by  the  side  of  the  street  or  by  the 
side  of  a brook  or  river.  Even  the  main  sewer,  at 
places  where  the  mountain  stream  which  flows  through 
it  runs  less  laden  with  filth  than  elsewhere,  is  utilized 
for  this  purpose.  The  early  riser  would,  in  a walk 
through  the  streets  of  the  capital,  meet  many  a woman 
with  a bundle  of  clothes  on  her  head  and  her  face  cov- 
ered with  her  little  coat,  on  her  way  to  a meadow  or 
stream  outside  the  walls,  to  do  the  family  washing. 
There  are  several  places  outside  the  city  where  the  lay 


154 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


of  the  land  is  favorable  for  this  purpose,  and  which  on 
almost  any  bright  day  appear  almost  white  with  the 
linen  laid  on  the  grass  or  on  bushes  to  dry.  Hither 
the  women  come  with  their  little  paddles,  about  a foot 
long  and  three  inches  wide,  and  at  a stone  worn  smooth 
by  constant  use  they  squat  or  kneel.  Here,  in  a hol- 
low in  the  brook’s  bed,  they  dip  the  clothes,  and  then, 
laying  them  on  the  stone,  proceed  to  beat  out  the  marks 
of  wear,  turning  the  clothing  now  and  again  to  bring 
uncleansed  spots  under  the  paddle.  They  beat  in  time, 
as  though  to  a tune,  and  dextrously  change  the  paddle 
from  one  hand  to  the  other  without  losing  a stroke.  As 
buttons  are  little  used,  or  are  made  of  knots  of  thread 
or  braid,  the  paddles  do  no  harm  to  the  clothing.  Lines 
are  little  used  for  drying  purposes  : the  clothes  are  spread 
out  upon  rocks  or  grass  or  bushes  until  ready  to  be  taken 
in.  This  is  the  method  of  washing,  winter  and  summer. 
In  winter,  of  course,  they  have  to  break  through  the  ice 
to  get  the  water,  and  doubtless  much  suffering  is  experi- 
enced at  that  season,  though  I never  heard  a complaint 
in  the  matter.  It  might  be  supposed  that  this  method 
of  washing  would  be  hard  on  the  fabric.  But  though 
Korean  clothes  are  often  of  thin  texture,  the  paddle 
seems  less  destructive  than  our  own  way  of  rubbing. 
Against  its  effectiveness  nothing  can  be  said,  for  no- 
where is  there  a more  glowing  whiteness  produced  in 
the  laundry.  Starch  made  of  rice  is  used  for  produ- 
cing stiffness  and  body.  Especially  interesting  is  their 


Returning  from  Washing.  Page  155. 


^ -v^‘  • 

Z'f. 


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WOMAN  AND  HER  WORK. 


155 


method  of  ironing.  In  the  first  place,  the  irons  ” 
are  made  of  wood,  and,  instead  of  being  flat,  are  round 
and  resemble  a shortened  base-ball  bat.  The  table,  in- 
stead of  being  a flat  board,  is  a wooden  roller  about 
three  to  six  inches  in  diameter,  around  which  the  arti- 
cle is  wound.  They  do  not  heat  the  irons,”  but,  in- 
stead, sometimes  heat  the  flat  stone  on  which  the  “ iron- 
ing-board ” rests.  Instead  of  steady  pressure  to  smooth 
out  the  wrinkles,  the  ironing  is  done  by  quick,  sharp 
raps,  like  those  of  a drummer.  By  the  rate  of  the 
taps  it  can  often  be  told  whether  the  man  of  the  house 
has  one  or  two  wives.  If  two  women  are  ironing,  they 
alternate  their  strokes,  beating  with  a rhythmic  motion 
rather  lulling  in  its  effects  if  not  too  close.  The  roll 
is  often  turned  by  a little  maiden  who  sits  at  the  end 
to  perform  this  labor.  Add  to  the  above  that  most  of 
the  ironing  is  done  at  night,  and  what  more  antipodal 
to  our  own  methods  can  be  imagined?  It  should  be 
said  that  in  this  way  a beautiful  polish  is  produced, 
and  no  injury  to  the  fabric  seems  to  result. 

It  has  already  been  stated  that  in  the  country  there 
seems  to  be  less  strictness  in  regard  to  the  seclusion  of 
women.  It  is  therefore  not  unusual  to  see  a woman 
in  the  field,  assisting  in  the  work  of  cultivation.  They 
assist  in  the  gathering  of  the  crops,  and  often  in  pre- 
paring them  for  use.  But  far  less  out-door  work  is  done 
by  Korean  women  than  by  their  sisters  in  Japan. 

In  sewing  the  women  are  very  neat.  They  are  ex- 


156 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


tremely  deliberate.  Not  much  is  accomplished  in  a 
day,  but  what  is  done  is  well  done.  Some  specimens 
of  quilted  silk  have  called  forth  loud  encomiums  from 
those  who  have  inspected  them.  Korean  garments  are 
always  very  neatly  made.  As  embroiderers  Koreans 
are  not  particularly  skillful.  They  are  far  behind  the 
Japanese  in  this  respect.  As  in  the  production  of 
landscapes  by  painting,  so  in  embroidery  everything 
is  stereotyped.  The  way  of  representing  rocks  is  re- 
peated in  each  piece  of  work.  While  in  the  representa- 


tion of  birds,  bat^^ 
true  to  nature,  and  in 


rflies  they  are  wonderfully 
h^teiking  figures 

as  the  bamboo  and  various  flowers'H^f^^SfejjfJburate,  the 
general  effect  of  their  work  is  tame  and  uninteresting. 
Embroiderers  who,  according  to  Korean  notions,  are 
skilled  are  kept  at  work  in  the  palace  embroidering 
panels  for  screens.  These  screens  are  sometimes  pre- 
sented to  officials,  and  thence  occasionally  find  their 
way  through  the  medium  of  a commission  merchant 
into  foreigners’  hands.  In  this  way  the  writer  became 
possessed  of  one  regarded  by  Koreans  as  peculiarly 
handsome.  In  both  sewing  and  embroidery  the  thim- 
ble, made  of  cardboard  covered  with  silk  or  cotton,  is 
worn  on  the  index  finger.  Doubtless  this  accounts 
for  the  slowness  with  which  the  work  is  done. 

The  disposition  of  the  women  in  Korea  is  reverent, 
and  it  is  among  them  that  the  Romanists  have  made 
their  best  progress.  Their  congregations  in  Seoul  num- 


WOMAN  AND  HER  WORK. 


157 


ber  sometimes  over  five  hundred.  They  are  exceed- 
ingly earnest,  and  are  most  zealous  in  their  advocacy 
of  the  Christian  religion.  Too  much  cannot  be  said 
to  contradict  the  notion  that  has  gained  currency  that 
the  female  sex  is  considered  as  beneath  the  strong 
and  sturdy  male.  The  fact  has  already  been  noted 
that  even  the  husband,  who  in  one  book  is  said  to 
converse  only  occasionally  with  his  wife,  ^^whom  he 
regards  as  being  far  beneath  him,^’  applies  honorific  lan- 
guage when  addressing  her.  I found  no  traces  of  any 
other  state  of  things.  While  heesang  are  spoken  to 
in  impolite  language,  married  women  are  addressed 
with  respect.  And  this  is  not  merely  external  usage. 
The  children  respect  women  and  are  generally  obedient. 
AVhoever  has  noticed  the  quickness  of  children  to  mark 
any  lack  of  respect  to  a person  in  authority,  and  to  pre- 
sume on  that  deficiency,  will  see  at  once  how  strong  a 
proof  this  respect  of  children  is  of  the  high  position  of 
the  mother.  At  the  same  time,  in  fairness  there  must 
be  admitted,  on  the  other  side,  the  fact  that  a man  may 
divorce  his  wife  by  simple  repudiation.  Yet  recourse  to 
this  is  exceedingly  rare.  It  necessarily  carries  with  it 
some  publicity,  and  that,  in  matters  pertaining  to  the 
household,  is  the  very  last  thing  to  be  desired.  In  some 
of  the  very  few  cases  where  this  method  was  known  to 
the  writer  to  have  been  taken  to  get  rid  of  a wife,  the 
couples  afterward  became  reconciled. 


CHAPTEE  IX. 

AMENITIES  AND  SOLEMNITIES. 


NOUGH  has  been  said  in  preceding  chapters  to 


show  that  the  Koreans,  while  gravity  is  a promi- 
nent characteristic,  are  yet  by  no  means  loath  to  have 
fun.  While  not  as  volatile  in  spirits  as  the  Japanese, 
they  are  yet  not  so  stolid  as  the  Chinese.  They  love 
their  little  joke,’’  and  recreation  is  as  dear  to  them  as 
their  food.  From  the  small  toddler  who  can  scarcely 
stand  to  the  gray-haired  minister  of  state,  all  like  fun 
and  do  their  share  in  making  it.  The  children  of  such 
a people  are  not  likely  to  suffer  from  want  of  amuse- 
ment. One  going  through  the  streets  of  the  city  or 
along  the  roads  will  find  much  the  same  diversity  of 
games  as  is  seen  in  our  own  land,  and  each  game  has 
its  appropriate  season.  At  one  time  of  the  year  the 
sky  will  be  dotted  with  kites ; at  another  season  not  a 
kite  will  be  in  sight.  But  it  must  not  be  supposed  that 
the  children  have  nothing  to  do  but  play.  By  far  the 
most  of  the  Koreans  read  their  own  language,  and  a 
large  proportion  read  and  write  Chinese ; hence  a por- 
tion of  the  children’s  time  must  be  spent  in  school. 
This  institution  is  altogether  different  from  ours. 


158 


AMENITIES  AND  SOLEMNITIES. 


159 


There  is,  in  the  government,  no  department  of  instruc- 
tion, having  the  care  of  the  education  of  the  people. 
Instruction  is  a private  enterprise.  A school  can  al- 
ways be  located  by  the  noise  it  makes.  Children  there, 
as  in  China,  study  aloud ; and  some  say  the  greater  the 
volume  of  sound,  the  greater  the  industry  of  the  scholars. 
With  this  as  the  principle  of  study,  it  is  easy  to  imagine 
how  fifteen  or  twenty  scholars  can  make  the  air  hum. 
Girls  are  not  found  at  the  schools.  While  many  of 
them  read  the  vernacular,  and  some  even  understand 
Chinese,  they  have  to  acquire  their  knowledge  from 
scholarly  brothers  or  parents.  But  the  most  of  their 
energies  are  confined  to  tending  the  baby  at  home  or 
in  the  street  or  in  assisting  the  mother  in  the  care  of 
the  house.  The  time  not  filled  with  these  occupations 
may  be  employed  in  seeking  fun  in  the  streets.  But 
at  best  the  play-time  of  the  girls  is  a short  one,  for  at 
the  age  of  twelve  they  are  marriageable,  and  for  some 
months  at  least  before  that  time  must  be  confined  to 
the  women’s  quarters,  out  of  sight  of  the  men ; thence- 
forward their  view  of  the  world  is  confined  to  what 
they  can  see  through  the  square  inch  or  two  of  glass 
set  in  the  paper  window  of  the  house,  or  from  under 
the  collar  of  the  little  coat  worn  as  a veil  over  the 
head,  which  they  wear  whenever  they  appear  in  the 
streets.  Babies  are  tended  very  much  in  the  same  way 
as  in  Japan — tied  on  the  backs  of  older  children,  who 
play  in  the  gutter  or  wherever  their  fancy  takes  them. 


160 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


in  happy  indifference  to  the  load  they  carry.  Thus  tied 
on,  the  babies  sleep  or  cry  or  laugh  with  but  little  at- 
tention from  the  older  children  who  carry  them.  It  is 
not  at  all  unusual  to  see  a boy  flying  a kite  while  the 
baby  on  his  back  gazes  at  the  bright  thing  in  the  air  or 
sleeps  with  its  little  head  thrown  back  to  a position  in 
which  dislocation  of  the  neck  seems  imminent. 

By  far  the  most  popular  amusement  is  that  of  flying 
kites.  To  fly  the  Korean  kite  involves  an  amount  of 
skill  far  exceeding  that  called  for  by  the  American 
species.  The  name  given  kites  is  yun,  and  they  are  of 
peculiar  construction.  They  are  nearly  square,  con- 
structed of  thin  pieces  of  bamboo  covered  with  tough 
paper,  with  a hole  left  in  the  centre,  and  connected 
with  the  line  by  three  pieces  of  string  joined  to  the 
sides  near  the  top  and  to  the  centre  of  the  bottom. 
It  requires  a nice  degree  of  skill  and  practice  so  to 
attach  the  line  as  to  make  the  kite  balance.  A spot 
near  the  top  indicates  to  the  owner  when  the  kite  is 
right  side  up  in  its  plunges — something  most  necessary 
to  know  in  order  to  ensure  its  safety.  It  generally 
has  no  tail,  and  is  therefore  very  unsteady  in  its  move- 
ments until  a great  amount  of  line  is  out.  In  taking 
in  and  letting  out  line  the  Korean  contrivance  used  is 
far  ahead  of  our  own.  All  who  fly  kites  use  a reel 
which  resembles  in  miniature  the  paddle-wheel  of  a 
steamboat.  The  axis  is  prolonged  on  one  side  to  form 
the  handle,  and  the  paddles  reach  beyond  the  axis  on 


AMENITIES  AND  SOLEMNITIES. 


161 


the  other  side.  To  let  out  line  it  is  necessary  only  to 
hold  the  reel  with  the  axis  parallel  to  the  line,  when 
the  latter  runs  off  by  the  pressure  of  the  kite.  To 
take  in  Hue,  the  boy  turns  the  axis  across  the  line, 
grasps  the  end  of  a paddle  with  one  hand  and  the 
handle  with  the  other,  and  whirls  the  whole  around, 
takiug  in  line  at  a rapid  rate.  (The  same  arrange- 
ment is  used  in  fishing  with  line  and  hook.) 

To  fly  an  American,  English,  Japanese  or  Chinese 
kite  is  a much  easier  task  than  to  operate  the  Korean 
article.  One  holiday  the  three  American  teachers 
tried  their  hands  at  this,  and,  having  flown  kites  at 
home,  anticipated  no  difficulty.  They  had  noticed  the 
antics  and  gestures  used  by  natives  in  manipulating  the 
string,  but  supposed  this  to  be  the  effect  of  the  Koreans’ 
natural  demonstrativeness.  But  another  opinion  gained 
ground,  as  the  only  success  achieved  on  that  occasion 
was  the  loss  of  several  kites,  which  by  their  plunging 
were  cast  down  into  neighboring  grounds  and  became 
the  prey  of  the  ubiquitous  small  boy.  The  absence  of 
a tail  makes  these  playthings  unsteady,  and  in  letting 
out  the  line  the  kite  generally  makes  a series  of  plunges, 
which  must  be  controlled  by  the  promptest  action, 
guided  by  a remarkably  quick  eye.  But  the  feature 
of  kite-flying  in  the  peninsula  is  the  fact  that  men 
and  boys  of  all  ages  indulge  in  the  pastime.  The 
“ kite-fights  ” are  an  absorbing  part  of  the  sport.  To 

witness  one  of  these  the  shopkeeper  will  often  stop 
11 


162 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


serving  a customer  and  risk  losing  a sale,  though 
as  a rule  the  customer  is  as  eager  as  any  one  to  see 
the  fun.  A kite-fight  is  carried  on  as  follows : Some 
man  or  boy,  seeing  a kite  in  the  air  the-  string  of 
which  passes  in  a way  favorable  to  the  undertaking, 
determines  to  have  some  fun  and  raise  a little  excite- 
ment. He  brings  out  his  own  kite,  gets  it  up,  runs  out 
the  string  to  a proper  distance  and  then  so  manoeuvres 
it  as  to  run  it  athwart  the  string  of  the  kite  he  wishes 
to  bring  down.  It  frequently  happens  that  the  man 
at  the  end  of  the  string  of  the  other  kite  is  equally 
adroit,  and  he  will  make  his  kite  dodge  and  twist  so 
as  to  evade  the  attack.  When  once  the  two  lines  meet, 
they  become  entangled,  and  the  kites  dash  and  curvet 
in  the  air,  and  dive  and  plunge  at  each  other  in  such 
a way  as  easily  to  suggest  to  the  imagination  that  they 
are  alive.  After  entanglement  the  object  is  either  to 
capture  the  enemy’s  kite  by  hauling  it  down  where 
it  can  be  seized,  and  with  it  as  much  of  the  line  as 
can  be  secured,  or  to  saw  the  string  so  as  to  sever  it 
and  cause  the  loss  of  the  opposing  kite.  It  requires  skill- 
ful strategy  to  accomplish  this,  for  the  chances*  are  even 
that  the  aggressor’s  kite  will  be  lost.  At  times  entan- 
glement does  not  follow,  for  the  swoop  of  the  attack- 
ing kite  is  so  sudden  and  swift  that  the  line  of  the 
attacked  kite  is  cut  through  as  with  a knife.  So  great 
is  the  interest  in  these  encounters  in  the  air  that  some- 
times a thousand  people  gather  and  look  on  in  breathless 


AMENITIES  AND  SOLEMNITIES. 


163 


excitement  and  with  keenest  interest,  which  they  show 
by  their  ejaculations  and  cries  of  encouragement  or 
dismay  as  one  or  the  other  scores  a point  or  wins 
the  game.  This  diversion  reaches  its  height  during 
the  New  Year’s  holidays  and  on  the  fifteenth  day 
of  the  first  month,  when  men  and  boys  in  great  num- 
bers indulge  in  the  sport  and  others  innumerable  watch 
the  spectacle.  Toward  night  the  strings,  one  by  one, 
are  cut,  and  the  kites  fly  away,  bearing  from  their 
owners  any  ill  luck  that  may  have  befallen  them. 

A game  ranking  next  in  popularity  is  one  peculiar  to 
Korea.  Some  tufts  of  pliable  grass  are  tied  together 
at  the  centre  and  curled  up  so  as  to  resemble  a chestnut- 
burr  or  a small  worsted  ball  about  the  size  of  a burr. 
This  is  thrown  into  the  air,  and  is  kept  there  untouched 
by  the  hands,  by  means  of  kicks  deftly  administered. 
The  feat  requires  much  practice,  but  boys  twelve  years 
of  age  have  been  seen  to  keep  the  thing  in  the  air  for 
eight  minutes.  The  kick  is  not  from  the  toe  or  front  of 
the  foot,  but  sidewise,  the  ball  hitting  the  foot  just  below 
the  ankle.  A variation  of  this  is  made  by  having  a coin 
tied  in  paper,  the  string  brought  tightly  down  to  the 
coin,  when  the  paper  left  loose  acts  as  the  feather  on 
an  arrow,  and  the  weighted  end  falls  first.  With  this 
plaything  two,  three  or  more  persons  play,  kicking  it  in 
turn  from  one  to  another.  This  form  of  the  game  is 
popular  among  the  men,  and  at  Chong  No,  the  part  of 
the  capital  which  corresponds  to  the  Wall  Street  of  New 


164 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


York  City,  it  is  seen  at  its  best.  With  it  the  brokers  of 
the  capital  make  what  corresponds  to  the  “ horse-play  ” 
of  the  Wall  Street  operators. 

In  summer  children  find  no  little  fun  in  pelting  the 
dogs.  Being  Korean,  of  course  they  do  this  in  a pecu- 
liar way.  The  instrument  of  torture  is  a plaything 
shaped  like  an  L,  the  lower  part  of  which  is  a slim 
blade  of  iron  or  a piece  of  stout  wire,  while  the  handle 
is  round  and  perhaps  two  feet  long.  With  the  point  of 
the  iron  they  pick  up  in  the  streets  pieces  of  garbage,  bits 
of  potato,  pieces  of  turnip  or  radish  or  lumps  of  mud, 
and  then,  taking  careful  aim,  propel  the  missile  at  the 
animal  by  striking  sharply  the  handle  of  the  sickle  or 
L against  the  raised  leg.  The  projectile  passes  beneath 
the  leg  and  often  hits  the  object  aimed  at.  Naturally, 
this  sometimes  brings  the  small  boy  into  conflict  with 
the  owner  of  the  dog,  but  that  only  adds  to  the  spice  of 
life,  and  does  not  deter  from  the  sport.  Of  course  there 
are  bad  little  boys  in  Korea,  as  elsewhere,  and  sometimes 
these  naughty  boys  aim  at  larger  game.  Occasionally 
the  stately  steppings  of  some  lordly  and  dignified  adult 
are  checked  or  accelerated  by  the  sharp  tap  of  a mud 
ball  or  an  unsavory  morsel  propelled  as  by  a catapult 
from  the  vigorous  arm  and  leg  of  an  urchin  who  is 
invisible. 

In  the  winter  and  early  spring  a favorite  amusement 
is  jumping  the  rope.  In  this  sport  the  Korean  children, 
boys  and  girls,  compare  not  unfavorably  with  Western 


AMENITIES  AND  SOLEMNITIES. 


165 


children,  and  have  introduced  complexities  into  the 
game,  some  like  and  others  unlike  those  seen  in  the 
United  States  and  England.  The  children  are  lithe 
and  agile,  and  display  an  endurance  utterly  beyond 
what  we  should  look  for  in  the  East.  At  the  same 
time  of  year  the  see-saw  is  very  much  in  vogue,  but  it 
is  different  from  that  so  much  used  by  little  Westeruers. 
In  Korea  a strong  warped  board  or  plank  is  placed, 
hollow  upward,  upon  a bunch  of  straw  or  on  bags 
filled  with  sand,  so  as  to  raise  it  from  the  ground  a 
foot  or  so.  Alongside  of  this,  and  at  the  proper  height 
for  children  to  reach,  is  stretched  a rope  which  the 
jumpers  seize  and  retain  while  they  play.  On  the  ends 
of  this  warped  board  two  children  stand,  the  heavier 
jumping  from  the  board  and  alighting  upon  it  again, 
by  the  impact  sending  the  other  child  into  the  air. 
The  child  thus  propelled  alights  with  all  the  impetus 
possible  upon  its  end  of  the  board,  and  in  two  or  three 
jumps  the  two  will  be  rising  into  the  air  as  high  as 
six  feet.  The  exercise  is  much  more  violent  than  in 
the  American  game,  and  frequent  rests  are  necessary. 
It  requires  more  skill,  greater  nerve,  keener  sight  and 
nicer  powers  of  balancing.  The  result  to  the  muscles 
and  nerves  must  be,  when  played  in  moderation,  ex- 
ceedingly beneficial. 

Pitching  coins  is  a favorite  amusement  with  young 
and  old.  Many  a time  a little  knot  may  be  seen  col- 
lected around  two  boys  who  are  the  champions  of  their 


166 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


districts,  engaged  in  settling  a dispute  as  to  their  skill 
in  tossing.  Boys  may  also  be  seen  whipping  tops  along 
the  streets,  but  the  ordinary  cord-top  has  not  yet  made 
its  way  into  the  country.  Sliding  has  its  devotees  in 
Korea,  as  in  America,  and  limbs  are  in  as  great  danger 
in  the  streets  of  Cho  Son  as  on  our  own  smoothly-paved 
sidewalks.  The  wooden  shoes  speedily  make  the  roads 
and  little  sheets  of  ice  slippery  enough  to  cause  the 
most  homesick  of  Kew  Yorkers  or  Brooklynites  to 
feel  thoroughly  at  home.  The  make  of  the  native 
shoes  prevents  the  development  of  any  sport  like  our 
skating,  but  that  sport  as  practiced  by  foreignei*s  is 
greatly  admired  by  the  natives.  At  any  time,  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  capital,  crowds  of  from  five  hundred 
to  two  thousand  can  be  collected  in  a short  time  around 
the  rice-paddies  or  ponds  where  skaters  are  enjoying  the 
ice.  This  pastime  having  been  mentioned  once  in  the 
presence  of  the  queen  by  Her  Majesty’s  lady  physician, 
a desire  was  expressed  to  see  how  it  was  done.  An  in- 
vitation was  given  to  the  skaters  of  the  capital  to  bring 
their  skates  and  give  an  exhibition.  This  invitation 
was  accepted  by  quite  a number.  The  place  appointed 
was  one  of  the  little  lakes  in  the  palace  grounds,  circu- 
lar in  form,  about  seventy  yards  in  diameter,  with  a 
pretty  little  summer  house  on  an  island  in  the  centre. 
In  this  latter  were  the  king  and  queen  with  their  attend- 
ants, hidden  by  screens,  but  themselves  able  to  see,  and 
doubtless  they  were  eager  and  interested  spectators. 


AMENITIES  AND  SOLEMNITIES. 


167 


Grandees  of  various  grades  watched  the  evolutions 
and  shouted  applause  and  encouragement.  Her'  Maj- 
esty was  especially  interested  in  an  ice-chair  gotten  up 
for  the  occasion,  used  by  several  of  the  ladies  who  were 
not  skaters.  One  of  our  number  was  an  expert  trick 
and  figure  skater,  and  the  climax  of  interest  was  reached 
when  he  jumped  over  a chair  while  going  at  full  speed. 
A buzz  of  astonishment  reached  the  ears  of  the  skaters, 
which  presumably  came  from  their  majesties  and  their 
attendants.  When  skating  is  enjoyed  elsewhere,  the 
spectators  are  of  lower  rank.  As  the  skaters  pass 
through  the  streets,  word  is  passed  along  from  urchin 
to  urchin,  and  also  among  the  adults,  that  foreigners 
are  on  the  road  to  the  ice.  In  a very  few  moments 
a crowd  of  a thousand  collects,  and  it  is  a constant 
wonder  to  them  how  movements  so  graceful  and  fleet 
can  be  made  on  a footing  apparently  so  treacherous. 
One  gentleman,  at  the  time  spoken  of,  was  learning, 
and  the  information  was  often  heard  given  to  new- 
comers, Those  great  men  are  very  skillful,  but  this 
one  is  just  learning.’^  So  quickly  did  the  natives  be- 
come connoisseurs ! 

This  gathering  to  see  a new  or  strange  sight  is  very 
characteristic  of  the  Koreans.  One  of  their  most  com- 
mon words  is  Icoo-gyung^  sight-seeing.  They  are  ex- 
ceedingly fond  of  spectacles.  Accordingly,  whenever 
the  king  and  prince  leave  the  palace  for  an  outing  or 
for  purposes  of  worship,  or  on  other  occasions,  the  day 


168 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


is  a holiday ; the  opportunity  is  seized  for  luakiug  a 
display,  and  the  people  gather  to  witness  the  sights.  It 
is  quite  usual  for  a number  of  the  foreigners  to  go  to 
see  the  sights,  although,  like  Barnum’s  parade,  repeti- 
tion wearies  one.  For  the  foreigners  some  choice  posi- 
tion is  usually  secured.  Countrymen  generally  come  to 
town  in  great  numbers  on  such  occasions,  and  very  often 
congregate  in  front  of  the  rendezvous  of  the  white 
strangers.  To  many  of  them  a part  of  the  sights  of 
the  day  is  a glimpse  of  the  foreigners,  and  they  are 
especially  pleased  at  the  romps  and  fun  of  the  fair- 
faced children.  But  sometimes,  while  laughing  and 
commenting  upon  the  ways  of  the  foreigners,  they 
will  be  dispersed  by  an  advance  file  of  soldiers  who 
march  down  the  street,  and  then  they  have  to  betake 
themselves  to  the  cross-streets  or  flatten  themselves 
against  the  houses  that  line  the  streets.  The  show  or 
kur-dong  is  coming.  Natives  struggle  for  the  best 
positions,  and  foreigners  settle  themselves  to  explain 
to  newcomers  the  sights  or  to  compare  the  display 
with  that  seen  on  former  occasions.  Coolies  are  car- 
rying baskets  of  soil,  which  they  place  at  intervals 
along  the  middle  of  the  streets  through  which  the  king 
is  to  pass.  Squads  of  soldiers  and  officials  pass  up  and 
down,  to  see  that  all  is  in  proper  condition.  When  the 
head  of  the  procession  is  seen,  gay  with  flags  and  stream- 
ers, an  old  official  may  be  seen  to  pass  along  on  horse- 
back, superintending  the  strewing  of  the  baskets  of  diii; 


AMENITIES  AND  SOLEMNITIES. 


169 


down  the  middle,  of  the  street.  The  tradition  is  that 
His  Majesty’s  person  is  sacred,  and  he  must  not  be  car- 
ried over  soil  trodden  by  the  foot  of  common  men. 
Virgin  soil  must  be  beneath  his  royal  soles.  After  this 
comes  the  procession  proper — companies  of  soldiers  of 
varied  sorts,  footmen  and  cavalry,  spearsmen,  swords- 
men and  bowmen ; captains  and  generals  guarded  by 
files  of  soldiers,  each  one  held  on  his  horse  by  men  on 
either  side  of  him,  and  the  horse  led  by  a groom.  The 
little  horses  are  tipped  out  with  brass-bedecked  cover- 
ings. Officials  are  in  their  most  gorgeous  robes.  Flags 
stream  in  the  wind.  Men  armed  with  poles  or  paddles 
pass  along  the  sides  of  the  street,  pushing  or  striking 
the  people  with  the  poles  or  paddling  them  with  the 
paddles  to  keep  the  way  clear,  and  sometimes  singling 
out  some  unfortunate  individual  for  severe  punishment 
in  this  way.  Some  of  the  troops  of  swordsmen  in  the 
cavalry  wear  coats  with  red  sleeves,  the  object  of  which 
is  said  to  be  that  in  battle  they  may  wipe  their  bloody 
swords  on  the  sleeves  and  not  be  sickened  by  the  gory 
stain.  Emblematic  flags  and  standards  borne  on  bloody 
fields  are  carried  with  the  ranks  of  soldiery.  Now  comes 
a body  of  tiger-hunters,  bearing  the  native  match-lock  or 
flint-lock  weapons — men  to  whom  fear  is  said  to  be  un- 
known ; who  else  dare  beard  the  royal  man-eater  in  his 
lair?  Clad  as  they  are  in  flowing  and  picturesque  uni- 
forms of  blue,  with  dark,  broad-brimmed  hats  adorned 
with  red  tassels,  they  present  a striking  appearance.  It 


170 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


may  be  that  right  behind  them  marches,  in  company 
front,  a regiment  of  infantry  armed  with  breech-loading 
Remingtons  and  sabre  bayonets,  and  dressed  in  what  is 
supposed  to  be  foreign-fashioued  uniforms.  The  gen- 
erals look  ridiculously  helpless,  supported  by  their  at- 
tendants, and  they  are  said  to  go  into  battle  held  on  their 
horses.  Civil  officers  are  attended  by  huge  retinues  of 
servants;  and  one  of  the  novel  sights  was  an  official 
who,  instead  of  being  carried  in  a chair  on  the  shoulders 
of  men,  rode  a unicycle,  the  seat  being  over  the  wheel. 
The  official  was  held  up  by  servants  on  each  side,  wdiile 
the  motive  power  was  furnished  by  coolies  who  pushed 
and  pulled  at  poles  passed  through  the  bottom  of  the 
chair  or  seat.  One  has  fair  time  to  get  wearied  watch- 
ing troop  after  troop  of  cavalry  mounted  *on  ridiculously 
small  horses,  company  after  company  of  infantry  armed 
with  mediaeval  or  modern  weapons,  bodies  of  spearmen 
and  clubmen  and  swordsmen,  companies  of  bowmen  and 
others,  before  the  noise  made  by  a company  of  buglers 
announces  the  approach  of  the  king.  It  is  a curious 
fact  that  wherever  the  king  goes,  this  band  of  buglers 
accompanies  him,  blowing  marches  which  are  identical 
with  those  used  in  guard-mounting  in  our  own  garri- 
sons. But  before  the  king  is  always  carried  a large 
chair  borne  by  eighteen  men,  with  no  one  in  it.  This 
chair  is  exactly  like  the  one  His  JMajesty  occupies.  The 
custom  originated  in  the  times  when  the  king  was  always 
carried  in  a closed  chair.  Once  when  the  monarch  was 


AMENITIES  AND  SOLEMNITIES. 


171 


going  out  a conspiracy  had  been  formed,  and  through 
the  chair  which  was  supposed  to  contain  him  arrows 
were  shot  with  the  purpose  of  assassinating  him.  But  he 
happened  to  be  in  another  chair,  and  so  escaped.  Ever 
since  that  occasion  an  empty  chair  has  been  borne  in  the 
royal  procession,  and  as  long  as  closed  ones  were  used  it 
was  not  known  in  which  one  the  king  rode.  But  since 
the  ruler  of  the  kingdom  began  to  ride  in  open  chairs 
the  custom  has  been  maintained,  not  that  it  was  of  any 
use,  but  was  simply  a reminiscence  of  the  ancient  at- 
tempt at  regicide.  It  is  an  instance  of  the  persistence 
of  a ceremony  after  the  occasion  demanding  it  has  passed 
away.  Many  such  instances  exist.  The  king  himself 
is  borne  in  a large  open  chair  raised  aloft  in  the  air,  for 
none  may  look  down  upon  His  Majesty.  He  is  in  full 
view  of  all  who  choose  to  look,  though  the  natives  are 
accustomed  to  bow  the  head  as  he  passes.  To  foreigners 
when  present  in  a body  he  almost  always  shows  the 
courtesy  of  stopping  the  chair  a moment  as  he  passes. 
If  during  an  outing  he  passes  foreigners  to  whom  he 
has  granted  audience,  and  even  others  whom  he  knows 
only  by  reputation,  he  generally  recognizes  them  by  a 
gracious  bow  and  a very  pleasant  smile.  After  him  is 
usually  carried  a second  empty  chair,  and  following  that 
comes  one  which  bears  the  prince,  who  generally  accom- 
panies his  father.  After  them  go  other  bodies  of  sol- 
diers, nearly  a repetition  of  what  precedes. 

I know  of  no  occasion  in  the  United  States  when  the 


172 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


display  of  color  is  so  varied  and  magnificent  as  in  the 
Korean  capital  on  the  day  of  the  king’s  outing.  The 
varied  suits  of  the  troops,  the  gorgeous  standards  and 
flags  embroidered  with  silks,  the  gay  trappings  of  the 
horses  and  the  brilliant  clothing  of  the  courtiers,  flanked 
by  the  gala  dress  of  the  natives,  make  a kaleidoscopic 
picture  probably  not  to  be  equaled  elsewhere  in  the 
world,  unless,  perhaps,  in  India.  This,  then,  is  one 
of  the  occasions  which  the  native  seizes  for  a holiday, 
and  which  is  an  excuse  for  donning  his  best  apparel. 
It  is  also  a means  for  the  king  to  exhibit  himself  to  the 
populace  and  keep  himself  in  their  favor.  As  he  goes 
out  four  or  five  times  a year,  he  succeeds  in  maintaining 
his  popularity,  and  at  the  same  time,  by  being  unap- 
proachable by  the  masses  except  at  such  times,  the 

majesty  which  doth  hedge  a king  ” is  easily  sup- 
ported, and  with  it  the  awe  of  the  common  people  for 
the  august  ruler  of  the  kingdom,  the  “ favorite  of 
Heaven.” 

These  spectacle-loving  people  have  their  propensities 
indulged  by  the  traveling  troupes  of  rope-dancers,  tum- 
blers and  clowns  who  come  from  the  southern  province 
of  Chul-la-do.  The  dancers  are  generally  boys,  whose 
walking  on  tight  ropes  of  straw  and  balancing  without 
balancing-poles  on  slack  ropes  are  well  worth  witness- 
ing. They  intersperse  with  their  performances  jokes 
cracked  at  the  expense  of  bystanders,  which  are  taken 
in  good  part  by  their  victims.  The  tumblers,  often 


AMENITIES  AND  SOLEMNITIES. 


173 


adults,  are  v^ery  good  performers,  turning  hand-springs 
and  somersaults  of  all  varieties,  with  all  sorts  of  horse- 
play thrown  in.  These  troupes  are  sometimes  engaged 
by  officials  to  perform  in  public,  and  the  foreign  friends 
of  the  host  are  invited  to  witness  the  performance. 
Another  spectacle,  which  reminds  one  of  the  stories 
told  of  the  mystery  or  miracle  plays  of  England,  col- 
lects crowds  of  people  in  places  where  the  hollows  in  the 
hillsides  form  natural  theatres.  The  players,  in  hideous 
masks,  personate  legendary  and  mythical  characters,  and 
the  performance  lasts  for  two  or  three  days.  The  object 
of  these  it  seems  difficult  to  learn,  and,  curiously  enough, 
they  are  not  visited  by  the  mandarins  or  gentlemen  of 
the  vicinity.  They  seem  to  be  frowned  upon  by  the 
orthodox  Confucian.  No  collection  is  taken  up  and  no 
fee  demanded. 

But  all  the  rage  in  the  late  winter  and  early  spring  is 
the  game  which  stirs  up  the  most  life  and  engages  the 
most  zeal  that  Koreans  ever  display.  This  is  the  stone- 
fight.  In  England  a similar  game  is  often  engaged  in 
between  boys  of  rival  districts.  In  Korea  boys  and 
men  participate  in  it,  the  former  in  emulation  of  the 
latter.  Villages  are  generally  built  around  the  bases 
and  part  way  up  the  sides  of  the  rolling  hills  and 
spurs  of  the  mountains.  Often  between  two  villages 
thus  situated  there  is  a large  level  stretch,  and  this  is 
made  an  annual  battle-ground.  The  sport  usually 
begins  in  good  humor,  often  continues  so  to  the  end, 


174 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


but  not  unfrequeutly  engenders  bad  blood  and  arouses 
angry  passions.  The  sides  engaged  are  proportioned  to 
the  size  of  the  villages,  the  largest  number  I have  seen 
on  a side  being  estimated  at  fPom  eight  hundred  to  one 
thousand ; but  fights  are  seen  where  not  more  than  a 
dozen  in  all  participate.  The  game  is  begun  by  the  boys, 
sometimes  early  in  the  afternoon,  and  there  is  desultory 
fighting  until  toward  evening.  Then  the  men  begin  to 
arrive  and  take  a hand,  and  the  battle  becomes  sharp. 
The  end  comes  soon  after  sunset.  The  weapons  em- 
ployed are  stones  and  clubs,  the  stones  being  thrown 
from  the  hand  or  from  slings  made  of  straw  string. 
The  clubs  are  short  and  stout,  and  can  be  wielded,  as 
they  occasionally  are,  so  as  to  cause  instant  death.  The 
fight  is  begun  by  a few  of  each  side  collecting  near  the 
centre  of  the  ground,  between  the  two  villages.  Stones 
are  thrown  and  challenges  shouted,  each  party  exhorting 
the  other  with  badinage  and  repartee  to  retire  from  the 
field  while  it  can  do  so  with  safety.  As  the  fighters  col- 
lect, bystanders  from  near  and  from  far  gather,  gene- 
rally out  of  reach  of  danger,  though  occasionally  a stone 
will  drop  among  them  from  the  erratic  sling  of  a partici- 
pant. The  distance  between  the  sides  is  usually  a little 
more  than  a stone’s  throw,  but  ahead  of  the  main  body 
are  adventurous  spirits  who  look  like  a line  of  skirmish- 
ers, and  who  harass  the  enemy  by  throwing  stones  from 
hand  and  sling  into  the  densest  masses.  Charges  and 
counter-charges  are  made,  those  armed  with  clubs  lead- 


AMENITIES  AND  SOLEMNITIES. 


175 


ing  the  attack,  backed  by  the  masses  who  throw  stones; 
on  the  opposing  side  the  clubbers  stay  to  meet  the  at- 
tack, while  the  vanguard  of  the  assailants  is  harassed 
by  the  sharpshooters  of  the  party  attacked.  When  a 
charge  is  to  be  made,  it  is  signalled  by  a loud  chorus  of 
kaKs  (equivalent  to  our  slang  phrase  ^^git’^),  and  when 
this  sound,  resembling  the  noise  of  a flock  of  crows, 
arises,  the  other  side  usually  retreats  in  full  run  until 
sufficient  courage  has  been  gained  to  stop  and  face  the 
foe.  When  the  retreating  party  turns  and  sees  a few 
rash  and  daring  men  far  in  advance  of  their  support, 
the  answering  hah  comes  from  their  side,  and  then  be- 
gins the  counter-charge,  which  may  be  met  or  may  re- 
cover the  ground  lost.  In  the  biggest  fight  witnessed 
by  the  writer,  when  perhaps  two  thousand  men  and 
boys  were  engaged,  one  side  charged  and  drov^e  their 
opponents  half-way  back  to  their  village.  A sudden 
rally  was  made,  the  signal  given  and  more  than  the 
lost  ground  recovered  by  a grand  rush.  After  a 
moment^s  breathing-spell  the  rush  was  continued,  the 
first  assailants  were  driven  in  among  their  houses,  and 
had  to  watch  in  helpless  rage  while  their  opponents 
stoned  and  tore  down  an  out-building  so  as  to  leave  a 
mark  in  the  enemy’s  camp  of  the  grand  rush  thus  made. 
This  of  course  created  hard  feeling : some  were  heard  to 
say  that  on  the  morrow  they  would  collect  many  men, 
and  whip  the  miscreants  severely.”  Sometimes  these 
stone-fights  become  more  than. mere  sport,  and  are  the 


176 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


• occasions  when  the  bad  blood  existing  between  the  vil- 
lages is  let  out.  It  is  said  that  they  are  reminiscences 
of  the  times  when  each  village  furnished  a contingent 
for  the  army,  and  the  neighboring  hamlets  vied  with 
each  other  as  to  which  could  produce  the  strongest  and 
bravest  set  of  men.  The  first  months  of  the  year  are 
devoted  to  this  mimic  warfare.  Occasionally,  so  large 
are  the  numbers  engaged,  so  great  the  noise  made  and 
so  dangerous  to  life  is  the  game  that  the  thing  comes  to 
the  king’s  ears,  and  he  has  to  give  ordere  that  the  fight- 
ing shall  cease.  It  is  a wonder  that  so  few  are  hurt ; 
but  when  we  remember  that  the  participants  wear  their 
winter  clothes,  including  a long,  flowing  overcoat  padded 
wdth  cotton,  the  danger  is  seen  to  be  much  less  than  at 
firet  seems  to  be  the  case.  A traveler  who  visits  Korea 
and  does  not  see  one  of  these  fights  misses  one  of  the 
most  characteristic  sights  to  be  witnessed  among  this 
strange  people. 

The  Koreans  are  exceedingly  fond  of  the  hills.  The 
consequence  is  that  the  South  Mountain  (the  North 
^Mountain  is  included  in  the  palace  grounds,  and  hence 
is  not  open  to  the  public)  is  a great  place  of  resort  for 
the  people.  In  the  spring,  summer  and  autumn,  on 
almost  any  fine  day  little  companies  may  be  seen  ram- 
bling over  the  mountain  or  rec'lining  under  the  trees, 
sometimes  sitting  on  the  wall  of  the  city  and  enjoying 
the  exceedingly  fine  view  to  be  had  south,  toward  the 
river.  Sometimes  one  of  the  company  will  have  with 


AMENITIES  AND  SOLEMNITIES. 


177 


him  a musical  instrument  which  is  a compound  of  the 


clarionet  and  the  cornet,  the  mouth-piece  and  stem  being 
of  reed  and  bamboo  and  the  flare  or  end  of  brass.  This 
instrument  is  frightfully  loud,  and  when  experts  upon  it 


dinners  music is  furuislied  by  a baud,  but  upon 
Western  ears  the  impression  is  decidedly  unpleasant. 
Their  instruments  are  Chinese  in  origin,  are  very  im- 
perfect, and  the  music  is  in  a minor  key.  But  while 
the  South  Mountain  is  a favorite  resort,  being  well 
wooded,  it  is  not  the -only  one.  Upon  all  the  hills  in 
the  neighborhood  of  the  capital  are  well-worn  paths, 
and  at  all  times  men  and  boys  may  be  seen,  solitary, 
in  couples  or  in  companies,  strolling  along  or  resting 
on  a rock,  happy  and  content.  A very  curious  feature 
is  that  every  Korean  as  soon  as  he  reaches  rising  land 
seems  impelled  to  sing.  The  writer  was  never  on  a hill 
with  a native  that  the  latter  did  not  break  forth  into 
song.  Almost  every  one  met  on  the  heights,  boy  or 
man,  will  be  either  singing  or  humming. 

One  is  constantly  reminded  by  the  Koreans  of  two 
traits  of  the  Swiss,  their  love  of  mountains  and  of  song. 


12 


178 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


Their  singing  is  as  strange  to  Western  ears  as  their  in- 
strumental music.  A few  songs  have  a Western  flavor, 
but  the  most  of  them  are  exceedingly  monotonous,  re- 
minding one  of  the  chants  of  the  mediaeval  monks.  A 
single  note  is  held  and  dwelt  on,  and  harmony  is  un- 
known. Korean  music  has  but  the  air.  Even  a bass 
is  unknown.  The  consequence  is  that  a foreign  baud 
appears  to  them  to  emit  a jargon  of  souuds.  But  on 
the  few  occasions  when  a band  of  musicians  from  a war- 
vessel  has  visited  the  capital,  crowds  of  people  have 
gathered  to  listen,  and  quaint  and  queer  are  the  com- 
ments dropped  at  such  times.  To  one  accustomed  to 
the  reluctance  found  among  Occidentals  to  sing  upon 
invitation,  the  refreshing  readiness  of  Koreans  to  sing 
when  asked  seems  strange.  Boys  and  men  are  usually 
very  eager  to  sing.  Aifectation  in  this  regard  is  un- 
known. Our  house-boys  or  servants,  or  boys  along  the 
streets,  could  always  be  induced  to  sing  us  a song.  Oc- 
casionally a dinner  was  given  to  the  servants,  and  on 
such  occasions  permission  was  generally  asked,  and 
granted,  to  bring  a drum  and  some  other  instruments, 
to  the  accompauiment  of  which  some  sang — perhaps 
solos;  often  all  would  join  in. 

‘ Dancing,  too,  is  a favorite  pastime ; the  dancing,  how- 
ever, being  rather  posturing  according  to  the  Japanese 
or  Nautch-girl  fashion.  These  gestures,  being  wavy 
motions  of  the  arms  and  hands  and  sinuous  twistings 
of  the  body,  accompanied  by  slow  though  comely  slides 


Dancing  Girls.  Page  179. 


AMENITIES  AND  SOLEMNITIES. 


179 


of  the  lower  extremities,  are  very  graceful.  Boys  and 
girls  are  the  dancers,  the  professional  ’ dancers  being 
girls  called  keesang,  of  whom  mention  has  been  made 
elsewhere.  These  keesang  figure  quite  largely  in  the 
literature  and  stories  of  the  people. 

The  transition  from  grave  to  gay  is  not  always  an 
abrupt  one.  Smiles  and  tears  are  kin.  The  solemnities 
of  Koreans  are  confined  to  the  thought  of  the  dead. 
Worship  and  death. alone  call  out  their  solemn  feelings. 
And  yet  the  people  do  not  seem  to  dread  death.  Their 
belief  leads  them  to  look  for  a life  beyond.  While 
Heaven  is  angry  when  it  removes  a friend  or  relation 
who  has  not  reached  old  age,  it  is  the  survivors  who 
are  punished,  not  the  one  whom  death  has  taken  away. 
Mourning  is  natural  and  obligatory.  Therefore  pro- 
fessional mourners  are  hired  to  express  the  grief  female 
relatives  may  not  exhibit  in  public.  In  death,  as  in  life, 
there  is  a great  distinction  between  the  rich  and  the  poor. 
Hills  are  the  burial-places.  For  members  of  the  royal 
family  a single  grave  occupies  a hill,  and  no  one  else  is 
interred  there.  Of  wealthy  men  or  high  officials  a 
number  may  occupy  a hill  together.  But  the  people 
are  buried  together  in  numbers,  their  graves  as  closely 
contiguous  as  they  can  be  placed.  Passing  out  of  the 
capital  by  almost  any  road,  the  traveler  will  come  upon 
the  burying-places,  always  on  the  tops  and  sides  of  hills 
and  bold  knolls,  never  in  the  valleys.  Within  the  capi- 
tal no  graves  and  no  temples  are  allowed.  Almost  as 


180 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


soon  as  one  passes  through  the  gates  the  sights  which 
meet  the  eyes  are  hills  and  knobs  of  ground,  covered 
even  down  to  the  edge  of  the  road  which  winds  through 
them  with  little  round  hillocks  generally  not  over  two 
feet  in  height.  The  social  position  held  in  life  by  the 
deceased  can  always  be  inferred  from  the  size  of  the 
mound  over  the  grave  and  the  amount  of  space  de- 
voted to  it. 

To  us,  who  are  accustomed  to  see  the  dead  laid  away 
in  cemeteries  which  pleasant  walks  intersect,  which  trees 
and  shrubs  beautify,  where  the  love  which  survives  death 
makes  attractive  the  last  resting-place  and  preserves  order 
there,  the  sight  of  the  dead  buried  in  promiscuous  con- 
fusion, without  (except  in  rare  cases)  stone  or  mark  to 
tell  whose  body  has  been  laid  away,  is  strange  and  pain- 
ful. The  shape  of  the  grave  is  new  to  us — a rounded 
mound  heaped  together  as  if  to  blot  out  recollection  of 
the  shape  the  earth  has  taken  to  itself.  No  walks  or 
drives  or  paths  separate  the  dead  of  one  family  from 
those  of  another,  but  wherever  the  blind  magician  or 
fortune-teller,  called  in  to  locate  the  grave,  says  the 
lucky  place  is,  there  is  the  grave.  It  must  not  be  sup- 
posed, however,  that  prince  and  pauper  lie  side  by  side. 
Here,  where  rank  is  so  fixed  a barrier  that  the  noble 
may  not  work  even  to  ward  off  starvation,  the  distinc- 
tion which  rank  brings  does  not  terminate  with  death. 
The  poor  naturally  bury  together,  while  those  who 
commanded  more  money  occupy  hills  in  company  and 


AMENITIES  AND  SOLEMNITIES. 


181 


take  more  space  for  their  graves.  The  richer  people 
have  larger  mounds,  broader  and  higher,  and  around 
each  grave  a space  is  levelled,  while  the  hill  behind  the 
grave  is  terraced  in  crescent  form  to  the  grave  next 
above,  and  the  grass  is  kept  closely  cut  and  raked. 
No  shrubs  nor  flowers  are  set  to  adorn  the  place,  the 
only  adornment  being  nature^s  carpet  of  green  grass  or 
shining  snow.  Among  the  highest  nobility  even  this 
kind  of  association  is  disdained,  and  whole  hills  are 
pre-empted  for  the  burial-places  of  individuals.  Around 
the  capital  there  are  several  hills  occupied  by  but  a sin- 
gle grave,  and  these  hills  may  not  be  used  for  the  burial 
of  others.  In  these  cases  the  grave  is  high  up  on  the 
hill,  and  partially  surrounded  at  the  back  by  a wall ; 
at  the  side  and  in  front  are  placed  stone  images,  rudely 
carved,  of  sheep,  pony,  attendants  (priests),  and  some- 
times a calf.  A crescent-shaped  background  of  dark 
pines  sets  off  the  hill.  At  a short  distance,  directly  in 
front  of  the  hill,  are  two  high  posts  joined  by  a cross- 
beam with  ornamental  work  on  it,  similar  to  those  in 
front  of  temples  in  Japan.  Directly  at  the  foot  of  the 
hill  is  a building  in  which  are  usually  kept  the  para- 
phernalia used  in  ancestor-worship,  and  in  front  of  this, 
like  a porch,  is  a flagged  space  roofed  with  tiles  and 
shaded  by  screens.  At  the  side  of  this  is  a small  house 
roofed  with  tiles,  but  enclosed  at  the  sides  and  front  with 
railings,  which  contains  the  tablet  on  which  are  inscribed 
the  name,  rank  and  deeds  of  the  departed.  These  tab- 


182 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


lets  are  often  of  dark  granite,  highly  polished,  with  the 
inscriptions  beautifully  cut.  These  spots  are  often  made 
by  foreigners  the  rendezvous  for  picnic  parties,  for  they 
are  generally  so  located  as  to  be  both  picturesque  in 
themselves  and  to  give  very  pretty  outlooks  on  the 
surrounding  country.  The  royal  family  has  in  its 
burials  chosen  the  prettiest  spots  in  all  the  country 
round  in  which  to  lay  away  its  dead. 

A Korean  funeral  is  a sad  affair.  When  a death 
occurs  in  any  family,  the  neighbors  have  no  excuse 
for  being  ignorant  of  the  fact.  The  women  and  girls 
and  boys  mourn  in  shrill  and  penetrating  tones  that 
reverberate  through  the  night  air  with  frightful  dis- 
tinctness. Oftentimes  hired  mourners  are  called  in, 
and  they  make  night  hideous  with  their  cries.  One 
of  the  duties  of  the  survivors,  who  mourn  as  they  do 
it,  is  to  burn  the  clothing  of  the  dead.  This  is  done  at 
night,  usually  in  the  street  in  front  of  the  door.  Sev- 
eral times,  when  the  author  has  started  out  very  early 
for  the  purpose  of  spending  a morning  with  his  gun, 
he  has  surprised  women  at  this  mournful  task,  and  at 
length  became  quite  accustomed  to  noting  a sudden 
withdrawal  of  the  women  engaged  in  the  task  and  an 
abrupt  termination  of  the  mourning  cries.  Female  re- 
lations do  not  accompany  the  body  to  the  grave.  If  the 
dead  person  was  very  poor,  he  is  carried  by  two  bearers 
to  his  final  resting-place  on  a rude  bier  covered  by  a 
half  cylinder  of  paper  pasted  to  reed  hoops.  The  body 


AMENITIES  AND  SOLEMNITIES. 


183 


is  prepared  for  burial  by  being  wrapped  in  straw.  No 
coffin  is  used.  The  body  often  rests  on  the  ground  out- 
side an  inn  w*hile  the  bearers  take  their  breakfast  or 
quaff  sool  (native  beer)  inside.  The  whole  cost  of  such 
a burial  is  not  much  over  two  or  three  dollars.  The 
graves  are  often  very  shallow,  especially  in  the  winter. 
One  of  the  ghastliest  sights  I witnessed  in  Korea  was  a 
dog  taking  his  dinner  from  the  foot  of  a corpse  buried 
almost  on  top  of  the  earth.  The  spring  thaw  had  caused 
the  mound  to  crumble  away,  and  so  had  exposed  the 
body.  A raven  stood  only  a few  feet  away,  evidently 
waiting  till  the  dog  had  sated  himself  and  had  left  the 
feast. 

It  is  probably  on  account  of  the  occupation  of  the 
hills  as  burial-grounds,  and  the  horror  felt  at  the 
thought  of  disturbing  graves,  that  the  Koreans  are 
averse  to  opening  up  the  mineral  wealth  lying  in  the 
mountains.  As  worship  is  paid  to  the  spirits  of  the 
dead  at  the  graves,  disturbing  the  tombs  is  to  the  peo- 
ple the  equivalent  of  sacrilege.  There  is  a probability 
that  this  feeling  will  give  way  to  a desire  to  develop 
the  resources  of  the  country. 

It  is  quite  certain  that  the  antipathy  felt  by  natives 
toward  foreigners  has  been  fostered  by  thoughts  of  what 
really  occurred  iu  the  shameful  expedition  which  has 
been  described  by  Oppert  in  his  A Forbidden  Land, 
At  the  capital  the  respect  shown  by  foreigners  for 
the  dead  and  the  bereaved,  and  the  kindness  ex- 


184 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


tended  to  the  needy  survivors  in  cases  where  their 
want  has  come  to  be  known,  have  had  their  effect  in 
proving  that  such  expeditions  as  that  referred  to  are 
only  the  deeds  of  the  lawless  and  irresponsible  among 
foreigners.  A most  kindly  feeling  is  shown  and  is 
growing  toward  the  representatives  of  a higher  civ- 
ilzation  than  is  possessed  by  the  natives  of  the  king- 
dom of  ten  thousand  isles.” 


CHAPTEE  X. 


RELIGIONS. 

*P  ELIGION  in  Korea  has  attained  neither  the  in- 
tensity  of  growth  which  it  has  reached  in  China 
nor  the  luxuriance  it  shows  in  Japan. 

In  Japan  art  and  nature  have  lent  their  charms  to 
the  deepening  of  religious  fervor.  The  temples  and 
shrines  have  absorbed  the  devotion  of  artists  and  me- 
chanics and  the  resources  of  the  wealthy.  The  result 
is  that  tourists  in  Japan  visit  the  temples  as  the  reposi- 
tories and  embodiments  of  beauty.  The  people  frequent 
them  in  masses  and  as  individuals.  The  visitor  becomes 
accustomed  to  seeing  the  wayfarer  stop  to  throw  his  cash 
into  the  treasury,  ring  the  bell  and  clap  his  hands  to 
catch  the  attention  of  the  god  absorbed  in  meditation,  and 
say  his  prayer.  The  peddler  lays  aside  his  pack  while 
he  bows  his  head.  The  mechanic  on  his  wa}/  to  work 
stops  and  says  a prayer.  Many  a priest  may  be'  heard 
chanting  his  orisons  and  varying  his  notes  with  strokes 
on  a gong.  The  blind  and  diseased  bring  their  troubles 
to  the  gods  of  wood  and  stone,  and  to  those  whom  a piece 
of  paper  represents  in  the  Shinto  temples.  Everywhere 
the  religious  life  of  the  people  forces  itself  into  prom- 

185 


186 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL, 


inence.  Temples  and  worshipers  abound  on  every  hand, 
and  in  most  houses  there  are  family  altars,  as  in  the  old 
days  of  Rome. 

In  China  religion  has  petrified.  As  wood  hardening 
in  the  process  of  silicification  becomes  heavier  and  colder 
and  presses  its  way  down  upon  the  matter  lying  beneath, 
religion  in  China  has  hardened  and  grown  weighty  until 
its  prescriptions  have  become  the  formulae  of  life.  His 
religious  belief  is  the  citadel  of  the  Chiuamau^s  conserv- 
atism. You  may  reconcile  him  to  a difference  in  do- 
mestic environment ; he  may  be  brought  to  accept  the 
results  of  Western  researches  in  social  and  political 
economies,  until  the  point  is  reached  when  advance 
comes  into  contact  with  religious  life;  but  there  the 
advance  stops.  Religion  is  not  demonstrative,  but  it 
is  intense  and  unyielding. 

In  Korea  an  altogether  different  aspect  confronts  us. 
The  temples  are  few,  and  lack  the  element  of  pictur- 
esqueness. They  reflect  the  poverty  of  the  country. 
Stately  structures  on  commanding  sites,  approached 
through  rows  of  votive  lanterns,  rich  in  lacquer  and 
wealthy  in  decorations  and  gifts,  are  conspicuous  only 
by  their  absence.  Thus  the  conditions  we  find  in  Japan 
are  lacking.  In  Korea  extended  association  Avith  the 
people  for  a decade  has  convinced  us  that  among  the 
masses  the  conservatism  and  intense  opposition  to  a 
change  of  religion  found  among  the  Chinese  has  not 
to  be  encountered.  A fair  start  has  been  made  by 


RELIGIONS. 


187 


Protestant  missionaries  in  the  six  years  they  have 
been  at  work  in  the  peninsula.  While  China  and 
Japan  have  each  three  cults  or  forms  of  religion,  in 
Korea  only  two  are  found — Buddhism  and  Confucian- 
ism. Of  course  the  introduction  of  both  of  these  was 
from  China. 

From  what  we  have  learned  of  the  literature  and 
language  of  the  peninsula,  we  should  infer  that  the 
dominant  religion  there  is  Confucianism.  In  fact,  such 
is  the  case.  From  the  lowest  peasant  up  to  the  king, 
Confucianism  is  practiced  by  all.  But,  as  is  natural, 
since  the  upper  classes  are  the  most  influenced  by  the 
Chinese  classics,  it  is  there  that  the  most  strenuous 
opposition  to  the  introduction  of  Christianity  is  found, 
and  where  there  is  the  most  resistance  to  all  innovation. 
The  worship  of  ancestors  before  tablets  and  at  their 
graves  is  the  one  practice  which  all  follow.  This  wor- 
ship seems  a perfunctory  performance.  When  officials 
and  peasants  have  been  asked  why,  on  a certain  day  in  the 
year,  they  go  to  the  ancestral  tablets  or  to  the  graves  of 
their  ancestors  and  present  offerings — whether  it  is  that 
they  fear  that  those  ancestors  have  power  to  bring  them 
evil,  or  that  they  wish  to  implore  their  active  favor  and 
intervention  in  the  matters  of  this  life,  the  uniform 
answer  has  been,  ^^No,  we  neither  apprehend  evil  nor 
anticipate  good  ; it  is  law,  it  is  custom,  to  do  this.’^  We 
have  been  able  to  elicit  no  other  answer.  Religion,  then, 
is  not  among  Koreans  a motive  force  which  controls  the 


188 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


will,  operates  on  the  emotions  and  moulds  the  life.  On 
the  contrary,  it  seems  to  be  in  its  senescence.  It  is  a 
dutiful  following  out  of  time-honored  customs.  Of 
course  the  ethics  of  Confucianism  rule  the  country. 
Its  crowning  jewel,  filial  regard,  appears  as  prominently 
in  the  peninsula  as  in  the  Celestial  empire.  A young 
man,  of  whatever  station,  regards  with  respect  the 
speech  of  an  old  man,  no  matter  how  lowly  his  social 
status.  Confucianism  has  moulded  state  relations,  and 
in  times  of  famine  and  pestilence  the  king  is  the  one 
who  appeals  to  the  Lord  of  heaven  to  avert  the  plague. 

There  are  traces  throughout  the  country  of  a former 
more  extensive  worship  of  Buddha.  At  present,  while  not 
tabooed.  Buddhism  is  little  followed.  True,  the  guard- 
ians of  some  of  the  fortresses  are  Buddhist  monks. 
They  are  supported  by  His  Majesty  from  the  public 
granaries  in  return  for  this  service.  The  monks  who 
have  the  care  of  the  little  shrines  placed  here  and  there 
along  the  way  do  not  have  this  advantage,  but  they  beg 
from  the  people,  and  certainly  do  not  seem  to  suffer. 
There  is  no  mutilation,  no  maiming  of  the  body — 
nothing  that  repels  one  from  the  priests  and  monks 
except  the  shaving  of  the  head.  Yet  the  status  of 
Buddhism  in  the  eyes  of  the  people  is  fixed  by  the 
fact  that  no  monk  may  enter  the  capitals.  One  found 
within  the  walls  is  put  to  death.  Consequently  there 
are  no  temples  inside  the  walls  of  the  capital.  There 
are  ancestral  tablets  before  which  Confucian  rites  are 


RELIGIONS. 


189 


performed,  but  there  is  no  temple  except  one  in  the 
north-west  corner,  a ^‘Temple  of  Heaven,^^  really  no 
temple  at  all,  but  an  open  space  paved  and  surrounded 
by  a low  wall  and  with  a grove  as  a background. 

One  who  visits,  say,  the  fort  of  Puk  Hon,  a fortress 
ten  miles  to  the  north  of  the  capital,  will  find  the  men 
inside  it  all  monks.  He  will  see  these  men  with 
shaved  heads  lounging  around,  doing  nothing  that 
looks  at  all  like  either  military  or  religious  duty  except 
that  a number  may  be  found  at  a dingy  temple  in  which 
are  disreputable  images  before  which  attendants  mumble 
or  chant  prayers  unintelligible  even  to  themselves.  Dili- 
gent inquiry  would  show  that  these  monks  are  not  such 
upon  deep  conviction  and  for  religious  principle,  but  that 
the  rice  given  from  the  public  stores  suffices  to  make  this 
mode  of  living  attractive  to  them.  Among  the  people 
I never  met  a single  hearty  Buddhist.  I found  persons 
who  spoke  of  the  monks  with  a laugh  or  a sneer,  show- 
ing in  their  way  of  speaking  that  they  pitied  them.  The 
monks  themselves  were  harmless  enough.  They  seemed 
too  lazy  to  do  anything.  They  were  in  a state  of  harm- 
less inactivity.  Occasionally  one  is  met  with  miniature 
drum  or  cymbal,  begging,  singing  a song  in  native 
fashion  and  receiving  alms  in  goods  or  cash  for  his 
monastery.  These  gifts  are  made  to  secure  the  prayers 
of  the  community,  on  the  principle  that  no  harm  could, 
and  good  might,  result  from  the  prayers  thus  bespoken. 
But  little  efficacy  was  expected  from  any  such  inter- 


190 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


position,  and  the  alms  were  given  rather  from  the 
generosity  which  is  a component  of  Korean  character. 

The  real  worship  of  the  Koreans  is  before  the  ances- 
tral tablets  and  at  the  graves.  This  is  simple  in  charac- 
ter. It  consists  merely  in  setting  out,  on  small  tables, 
offerings,  principally  rice  with  various  condiments,  before 
which  prostrations  are  made  and  prayers  offered.  The 
spirit  is  supposed  to  be  present  and  to  partake  of  the 
gifts  thus  presented.  Among  the  upper  classes  more  is 
attached  to  this  ceremony  than  among  the  peasants,  to 
whom,  indeed,  it  is  often  a meaningless  ceremony.  Read, 
as  are  the  literati,  in  Confucian  lore,  these  upper  classes 
find  there  the  guarantee  and  strength  of  their  eminence, 
and  the  urgent  reason  for  supporting  Confucianism  and 
for  opposing  all  other  forms  of  worship.  This  ceremony 
becomes  to  them  the  warrant  of  their  respectability  and 
orthodoxy  and  the  guarantee  of  the  permanence  of  their 
position. 

But  subsidiary  to  these  two  religions,  which  are  the 
prominent  religious  features,  is  belief  in  a multiplicity 
of  spirits  and  demons  of  different  powers  and  various 
characters.  The  gates  of  the  cities,  palaces  and  temples, 
and  often  of  private  houses,  are  surmounted  by  tiles  cast 
as  ridge-pieces  and  corner-pieces,  in  grotesque  shapes  of 
birds  and  monkeys  and  contorted  figures  of  men.  These 
are  to  frighten  off  the  various  spirits  of  evil  and  the 
demons  which  otherwise  might  enter  the  city  to  disturb 
its  peace  and  destroy  its  prosperity.  During  the  cholera 


RELIGIONS. 


191 


season  of  1886,  as  I passed  from  street  to  street,  I often 
found  stretched  across  the  entrances  of  the  narrower 
ways  bits  of  string  from  which  depended  slips  of  paper 
or  pieces  of  rag  inscribed  with  invocations  to  cholera 
devils  not  to  enter  that  street  and  carry  off  the  inhab- 
itants. Fires  were  burned  outside  the  walls  to  scare 
away  or  propitiate  the  same  malicious  beings.  As  the 
traveler  goes  along  any  road  or  path  he  will  every  little 
while  pass  a tree  or  bush  decorated  with  bits  of  colored 
rag  or  paper;  occasionally  a prayer  is  attached,  and 
beneath  the  tree  will  be  found  an  irregular  pile  of  small 
stones.  He  will  find  that  these  bushes  or  trees  are  the 
reputed  homes  of  sprites  or  genii,  and  that  the  stones 
are  cast  there  by  chance  wayfarers,  who  deposit  with  the 
stones  whatever  bad  luck  the  journey  might  have  brought 
them. 

Here  and  there  the  tourist  may  be  shown  a little  hut 
inside  of  which  he  will  find  some  figures  painted  on 
paper,  representing  the  patron  deify,  and  hung  on  the 
walls  prayers  in  Korean  and  Chinese,  in  which  the 
petitioner  begs  for  one  year  of  360  days  to  be  delivered 
from  all  sorts  of  sickness  and  disease,  and  from  all  un- 
profitable ventures.”  Occasionally  a more  stately  build- 
ing will  be  seen,  which  is  perhaps  erected  to  the  memory 
of  some  celebrated  warrior,  who  after  his  death  w^as 
deified,  and  to  whose  honor  the  temple  w^as  built. 
Passing  in  from  the  street  through  the  gate,  at  each 
side  of  which  is  stationed,  in  a little  chamber,  a wooden 


192 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


horse  of  wonderful  variety  of  color,  held  by  a wooden 
image  of  a mah-poo  (groom),  of  surpassing  ugliness,  the 
visitor  will  find  himself  in  a courtyard,  on  one  side  of 
which  is  the  main  building,  while  the  other  sides  may 
be  given  up  to  rooms  open  in  front,  though  cut  off  by 
railings,  and  on  the  inner  wall  of  which  are  depicted 
the  principal  scenes,  drawn  in  a stereotyped  and  gro- 
tesque manner,  of  the  mundane  existence  of  the  demigod. 
The  main  building  will  generally  be  found  dark,  but 
when  opened,  the  figure  of  the  deified  warrior,  in  red 
and  gilt,  with  glaring  eyes  and  impossible  mustache, 
may  be  seen,  seated  in  defiant  attitude  on  his  throne. 
In  close  proximity  to  each  other  may  be  seen  the 
strangest  objects — ^gifts  of  worshipers.  Here  an  ancient 
sword  of  native  make  keeps  guard  while  a Waterbury 
clock  ticks  the  seconds  as  if  in  derision.  In  one  shrine 
I saw  before  the  god  a solitary  rubber  boot,  much  the 
worse  for  wear,  which  the  donor  had  perhaps  picked  up 
from  the  ash-heap  of  some  foreign  resident  of  the  capital, 
or  which  had  been  discarded  by  a disgruntled  hunter. 
But  as  an  object  of  beauty  no  temple  is  worthy  of  a 
visit  after  seeing  those  of  Japan.  The  temples  are 
interesting  only  as  showing  the  torpor  of  religious 
life  and  the  decadence  of  art  and  taste. 

Little  family  shrines  are  sometimes  erected  in  the 
country  districts ; and  at  points  along  the  great  highways 
are  found  what  might  be  called  private  shrines,  at  which 
the  traveler  may  stop  and  perform  his  devotion  and 


RELIGIONS. 


193 


then  proceed,  giving  the  maker  and  keeper  of  the  shrine 
a gratuity  of  one  or  two  cash  (one-quarter  of  a cent). 
The  only  representative  of  deity  in  such  places  is  a 
poorly-painted  figure  on  a sheet  of  white  paper. 

But  the  Korean  is  intensely  superstitious.  Events 
which  to  the  Western  mind  are  perfectly  explicable  and 
devoid  of  mystery  are  to  the  native  gruesome  and  awful. 
Not  long  after  my  arrival  in  Korea  I was  startled  by 
one  of  the  men  attached  to  the  house  running  in  to  tell 
me,  with  an  air  of  perturbation,  that  ^^a  heavenly  dog 
was  eating  up  the  moon,  and  would  I please  come  out 
and  see.^’  It  occurred  to  me  that  there  was  an  eclipse 
of  the  moon  due  at  that  time,  so  I went  out  to  view  the 
phenomenon.  When  I got  out  of  the  house  I heard  a 
great  din  in  the  street,  the  beating  of  drums  and  iron 
instruments  througliout  the  city,  together  with  firing  of 
guns.  Soon  came  from  the  palace  the  sound  of  platoon 
firing,  and  then  the  quick  rattle  of  the  American  gatling- 
guns  turned  on  the  voracious  monster.  Asking  what  all 
this  meant,  I was  told  that  it  was  noise  made  with  the 
object  of  scaring  off  the  heavenly  dog ; that  it  had  been 
uniformly  successful  all  through  Korean  history;  that 
though  the  beast  had  often  nearly  eaten  the  moon  up,  he 
had  always  been  scared  off  before  completing  it ; and,  in 
short,  that  this  noise  was  very  good  medicine,  and  that 
they  proposed  to  keep  it  up. 

In  like  manner,  various  bodily  ailments  are  ascribed 
to  the  evil  influences  of  sprites  and  devils.  This  comes 


194 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


out  in  the  enchantments  to  ward  off  the  cholera.  The 
same  thing  is  evident,  too,  in  the  employment  of  con- 
jurers to  locate  graves,  in  order  that  the  remains  may- 
rest  securely,  and  in  taking  circuitous  routes  to  the  grave, 
to  prevent  the  return  of  the  spirit  or  the  attack  of  demons 
bn  the  survivors. 


The  belief  in  demoniacal  possession  is  very  common. 


furthered  by  it.  The  exorcists  and  conjurers  find  in 
the  commonest  ailments  excuses  for  using  their  powers 
in  dispossessing  the  sick  body  of  the  sprites  which 
have  made  it  their  home.  It  was  no  infrequent 
occurrence  in  rambles  over  the  country  or  when  out 
huntino^  to  hear  the  noise  of  drums  and  to  see  a crowd 
around  some  house,  waiting  with  eager  curiosity  to  learn 
the  result.  Inquiry  would  elicit  the  fact  that  some 
devils  had  entered  that  house,  and  the  sickness  of  one 
of  the  inmates  had  resulted.  Meanwhile,  day  and  night, 
it  may  be  for  a week,  the  ceaseless  beat  of  drums  is  main- 
tained until  nature  is  either  wearied  out  and  death 
results,  or  she  recovers  herself  and  the  patient  is  re- 
stored to  health. 

Spirits  good  and  bad,  sprites  evil  and  benign,  fairies 
kindly  and  malign,  abound  on  hill  and  in  dale,  in  nook 
and  crevice  of  the  rock,  in  hollow  trees  and  cunningly- 
hidden  caves.  Any  event  of  life  may  be  governed  by 
their  interference.  Luck  plays  a large  part  in  the 
economy  of  native  life.  Innumerable  are  the  specifics 


This  belief  is  fostered  by  numbers  whose  interests  are 


RELIGIONS. 


195 


for  various  ills,  the  former  growiug  out  of  the  care, 
aud  the  latter  out  of  the  malevolence,  of  fairies  or 
demons.  Children  are  scared  into  good  behavior,  and 
adults  are  kept  at  home,  by  reports  of  spirits  that  are 
abroad  at  night.  Omens  are  seen  in  the  visits  of 
the  birds ; the  dreams  which  disturb  the  night  are 
portents ; and  almost  every  chance  event  has  for  Koreans 
a bearing  on  the  future.  One  of  the  departments  of  the 
government  is  that  of  Etiquette  and  Ceremonies,  in 
which  men  studied  in  magic  and  in  the  lore  of  omens 
regulate  official  aud  royal  conduct,  guiding  the  course 
of  events  according  to  tradition  and  to  prognostications 
from  chance  happenings.  That  an  event  is  unlucky  is 
sufficient  to  forbid  the  entrance  upon  any  enterprise. 
The  occurrence  of  the  outbreak  upon  the  occasion  of 
the  intended  opening  of  the  post-office  will  probably 
prevent  for  years  the  consummation  of  this  project. 
Consequent  upon  this  belief  in  omens  are  the  various 
subterfuges  for  overreaching  or  circumventing  Dame 
Fortune.  Thus  the  season  of  kite-flying,  which  ends 
on  the  fifteenth  day  of  the  first  moon,  is  closed  by 
cutting  the  string  of  the  kite  as  it  flies  in  the  air, 
Avhen  it  falls  and  bears  away  with  it  much  of  the 
bad  luck  which  might  have  attended  the  owner  during 
the  year.  At  the  same  season  of  the  year  an  effigy 
of  straw  representing  the  maker  is  tied  together,  and 
in  different  parts  of  it  are  hidden  cash,  and  also  a scrap 
of  paper  on  which  is  written,  in  Korean  or  Cliinese, 


196 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


some  such  prayer  as,  ^^For  one  year  of  twelve  months, 
from  all  plagues  and  diseases  and  misfortunes  deliver 
me.’’  This  effigy  is  then  given  to  a boy  who  calls  for 
it,  and  he,  after  cutting  it  up  as  much  as  is  necessary  to 
secure  all  the  cash  that  can  possibly  be  hidden  in  it, 
throws  it  where  roads  cross  or  meet.  Sometimes  a 
number  of  these  effigies  accumulate  in  some  cross-roads, 
and  the  bystanders  amuse  themselves  by  making  a fire 
of  them  or  in  kicking  or  tossing  them  about,  or  per- 
haps examine  them  closely  to  see  whether  any  cash  has 
been  overlooked  by  the  small  boy.  The  more  this  man 
of  straw  is  mutilated,  the  better  the  luck  of  the  person 
it  represents  and  the  more  complete  his  immunity  from 
the  evils  that  might  assail  him.  Hence  the  money  is 
hidden  with  all  the  ingenuity  that  can  be  exercised,  to 
tempt  to  the  complete  demolition  of  the  image.  A 
variation  of  this  is  the  cutting  out  of  a paper  figure,  the 
writing  on  it  of  a prayer  or  incantation  and  giving  a boy 
some  cash  to  carry  it  away.  So,  too,  at  the  same  season, 
the  tug  of  war  is  engaged  in,  since  the  winning  side  is 
supposed  to  revel  in  luxury  throughout  the  year,  while 
to  the  vanquished  life  will  not  be  so  pleasant.  On  this 
same  fifteenth  day  of  the  first  moon  it  is  the  custom 'for 
men  of  the  same  station  in  life  to  call  to  each  other  as 
they  pass  along  the  street,  and  if  one  answers  the  other, 
the  person  answering  may  be  expected  to  carry  away  in 
his  own  person  whatsoever  diseases  and  misfortunes 
might  have  befallen  the  one  who  accosted  him.  There- 


RELIGIONS. 


197 


fore  on  that  day  every  one  is  on  his  guard,  and  to  the 
various  and  pressing  calls  no  heed  is  given.  In  this  we 
are  reminded  of  some  peculiar  customs  of  our  own  per- 
taining to  All-Fool’s  Day.  On  this  day  nearly  all  par- 
take of  one  meal  in  which  five  kinds  of  grain  are  used, 
this  being  a mode  of  beseeching  an  abundance  and 
variety  of  food  during  the  coming  year.  At  this 
meal  a peculiar  kind  of  wine  called  the  ear-brighten- 
ing wine  ” is  drunk,  which  is  supposed  to  have  the  effect 
of  sharpening  the  hearing  and  preventing  aural  diseases. 
At  night  there  is  a suspension  of  laws  relating  to  curfew, 
and  men  may  wander  around  the  city  without  fear  of 
arrest.  The  reason  for  this  privilege  is  a current  super- 
stition that  if  a person  traverse  the  city  and  pass  over 
every  bridge  within  the  walls,  he  will  have  immunity 
from  diseases  of  the  lower  limbs  and  extremities  for  a 
year.  For  this  day  nine  is  the  lucky  number.  Accord- 
ingly, nine  meals  are  eaten.  If  a man  bring  to  the 
house  a load  of  wood,  he  must  manage  to  bring  nine; 
or  if  a woman  spin,  she  must  spin  nine  bundles.  The 
fifteenth  of  the  Korean  January  is  the  time  for  prognos- 
tications regarding  weather  and  crops.  If  on  that  day 
there  is  any  wind,  even  enough  to  move  a rooster’s 
tail,”  there  will  be  much  wind  during  the  spring. 
There  is  naturally  a great  deal  of  blustering  during 
the  season.  Men  go  down  to  the  barley-fields  and  pull 
up  grains  of  the  fall-sown  barley.  If  these  grains  have 
only  one  main  root,  the  crop  will  be  small ; two  roots 


198 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


denote  a fair  crop ; while  three  foretell  a great  abun- 
dance. The  wise  ones  also  tell  which  months  will  be  the 
most  rainy.  A piece  of  bamboo  is  split,  and  into  the 
slit  twelve  beans  are  inserted,  and  the  whole  is  taken 
into  the  field  and  buried  lightly  for  the  dew  or  rain  to 
moisten.  The  beans  which  swell  most  represent  the 
months  in  which  there  will  be  the  greatest  rainfall. 

While  many  of  these  superstitions  have  practically 
little  to  do  with  religion,  the  fact  that  belief  in  them 
is  so  universal  indicates  the  lines  along  which  mis- 
sionaries find  the  most  resistance.  The  tenacity  with 
which  they  persist  shows  a power  of  reserve.  Espe- 
cially is  the  demonology  of  Korea  an  obstacle  to  suc- 
cess. Of  this  no  adequate  study  has  yet  been  made. 
The  writer  regrets  few  things  so  much  as  that  his  atten- 
tion was  not  called  to  this  field  of  investigation  soon 
enough  to  permit  of  his  getting  a mastery  of  the  subject. 
With  a belief  in  demons  so  universal  and  persistent,  un- 
doubtedly the  convert  to  Christianity  finds  his  way  a 
hard  one.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  study  along  this 
special  line,  giving  knowledge  that  will  doubtless  prove 
not  only  interesting  but  also  helpful  and  practical,  will 
be  pursued  by  those  who  have  such  excellent  opportuni- 
ties as  the  missionaries  now  resident  in  the  country. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


RESOURCES. 

ly MEASURED  by  her  developed  industries,  her  ex- 
ports  and  her  imports,  Korea  is  perhaps  the  poor- 
est member  of  the  family  of  nations.  Measured  by  her 
possibilities,  she  stands  very  much  higher  in  the  list. 
As  already  stated,  the  country  is  not  at  all  thickly 
settled  if  compared  with  her  neighbors,  Japan  and 
China.  Consequently  the  economy  of  ground  and 
zealous  and  careful  development  of  every  inch  of  land, 
even  to  terracing  the  hills,  is  not  seen  in  Korea,  as  it  is 
in  Japan,  and  still  more  in  China.  At  a rough  estimate, 
not  a twentieth  of  the  arable  land  is  under  cultivation. 
When  we  take  note  of  the  industries  of  the  peninsula, 
we  find  even  a greater  torpidity.  There  are  no  manu- 
factures which  command  an  outside  market,  and  while 
she  has  plenty  of  mineral  wealth,  what  little  is  developed 
is  done  only  in  the  crudest  and  most  wasteful  manner. 
Likewise — wRat  might  prove  another  most  fruitful 
source  of  income — from  the  waters  wdiich  nearly  sur- 
round the  peninsula,  of  not  half  that  might  be  gained 
do  they  take  advantage.  Of  forestry  in  the  parts 
around  the  cities,  naturally,  there  is  none.  Yet  the 

199 


200 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


northern  and  western  parts  of  the  peninsula  are  well 
wooded.  Near  the  capital  the  face  of  the  country 
is  denuded  of  trees,  and  firewood  commands  a high 
price.  Of  the  timber  which  does  exist,  much,  with  the 
aid  of  foreign  capital,  might  be  made,  since  both  in 
Japan  and  China  there  is  a great  demand  for  lumber, 
and  high  values  could  be  realized. 

Of  mineral  wealth  Korea  has  an  abundance,  but,  as 
stated,  it  is  undeveloped.  In  the  neighborhood  of  Ping 
Yang,  the  former  capital  and  still  an  important  city, 
there  are  magnificent  veins,  which  come  to  the  surface 
of  the  ground  and  show  a fine  quality  of  coal,  seemingly 
anthracite,  and  yet  burning  with  almost  the  readiness 
of  the  bituminous  variety.  This  coal  is  quite  hard, 
burns  out  well,  makes  almost  no  smoke,  and  even  the 
dust  can  be  and  is  utilized.  This  is  done  by  mixing  the 
dust  with  about  an  equal  quantity  of  clay  wet  with 
water,  rolling  it  into  balls  and  then  drying  it.  These 
balls  make  most  excellent  fires,  and  heat  to  redness 
the  clay,  throwing  out  a great  amount  of  heat.  This 
coal-field,  not,  we  believe,  the  only  one  in  Korea,  is 
worked  as  yet  only  by  the  Koreans,  and  that  in  a most 
wasteful  manner.  Of  course  they  know  nothing  of 
scientific  mining,  and  they  have  no  machinery.  They 
simply  grub  out  what  is  easiest  to  get  at,  tumble  the 
rock  and  earth  back  into  the  excavation,  and  so  cover 
up  at  least  as  valuable  deposits  as  they  excavate.  Of 
mining  shafts  and  tunnels  they  have  no  knowledge, 


RESOURCES. 


201 


and  consequently  their  coal,  if  mined  by  themselves, 
cannot  well  become  a source  of  revenue.  As  the  mines 
are  almost  on  the  bank  of  a large  and  navigable  river, 
they  are  most  favorably  situated.  Japanese  coal  brings 
from  ten  to  twelve  dollars  (Japanese)  a ton  in  the  capital, 
so  the  native  article  could  easily  become  a competitor 
with  the  Japanese,  not  only  in  Korea,  but  even  in  Japan 
and  with  the  Chinese  in  China.  In  dealing  with  for- 
eigners, Orientals  show  a not  surprising  wariness  and 
caution,  considering  how  often  they  have  been  over- 
reached. In  Japan  the  government  has  been  for  some 
years  gradually  displacing  the  foreigners  in  its  employ, 
and  replacing  them  with  Japanese.  But  this  is  not  done 
until  the  officials  are  tolerably  certain  that  the  natives 
have  learned  their  lesson  and  know  how  to  manage 
things.  In  Korea,  however,  especially  in  regard  to 
developing  its  resources,  the  government  is  very  shy 
of  foreigners.  Several  good  offers  have  been  made 
by  foreign  firms,  German  and  American,  to  open  the 
mines  and  give  the  government  a fair  percentage  of  the 
proceeds.  In  this  matter,  however,  the  Koreans  have 
played  the  part  of  the  dog  in  the  manger.  Once,  acting 
upon  the  advice  of  the  foreign  adviser  and  under  the 
persuasion  of  the  customs  service,  the  residents  of  the 
capital  were  supplied  for  the  winter  with  coal.  The 
taste  just  whetted  the  appetite,  for  the  Korean  article 
was  so  much  cleaner  and  better  than  the  Japanese  that 
everybody  desired  it.  Since  then  no  one  has  been  able 


202 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


to  obtain  it  until  the  winter  just  passed.  It  is  used  in 
the  palace,  but  hardly  any  one  else  can  obtain  it.  It  is 
not  in  demand  among  the  people,  who  use  twigs,  dried 
grass  and  weeds  and  wood,  for  their  fireplaces  are  not 
suited  to  the  use  of  coal. 

We  understand  tliat  not  very  far  from  these  coal- 
mines iron  ore  of  an  excellent  quality  is  to  be  found. 
With  abundant  supplies  of  these  two  staples  of  indus- 
try almost  touching  each  other,  the  statement  that  Korea 
may  become  wealthy  is  not  unfounded. 

Another  source,  at  present  the  principal  one,  of  rev- 
enue to  Korea  is  gold-dust.  In  obtaining  this,  too,  the 
crudest  methods  are  in  vogue.  Only  placer  diggings  are 
worked,  and  the  report  is  that  these  are  very  rich.  Only 
a few  of  these  are  worked,  with  pan  and  shovel,  and  yet 
several  hundred  thousand  dollars’  w*orth  of  dust  is  said 
to  be  sent  every  year  to  Japan.  Of  course,  if  placer 
diggings,  worked  without  quicksilver,  produce  so  much, 
what  would  be  gained  with  modern  methods,  especially 
if  the  quartz  veins  which  are  the  sources  of  the  gold  in 
the  streams  w’ere  prospected  and  worked,  is  sufficient  to 
tempt  high  flights  of  fancy.  It  must  be  admitted,  how- 
ever, that  the  policy  of  the  government  does  not  seem  to 
promise  any  immediate  opening  up  of  these  sources  of 
wealth.  A considerable  amount  of  silver  is  also  gath- 
ered in  different  localities. 

Besides  the  minerals  above  mentioned,  copper  is  found 
in  abundance,  and  of  this  more  use  is  made  than  of  any- 


RESOURCES. 


203 


thing  else.  A considerable  amount  is  mined  and  smelted 
every  year,  and  used  in  the  manufacture  of  brassware, 
while  lead  is  quite  abundant. 

The  above  are  all  the  metals  whose  existence  is 
known.  But  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  country 
is  unknown  to  geologists,  that  it  has  not  been  scientif- 
ically explored,  and  that  its  geological  formation  is  so 
varied  that  even  those  unskilled  in  geology  have  been 
compelled,  by  the  boldness  of  contrasts  in  the  make-up 
of  the  rocks,  to  notice  the  difference  in  structure  of  ad- 
jacent parts  of  the  peninsula.  There  is  a point  between 
the  capital  and  Ping  Yang  where  one  standing  on  a 
height  can  mark  all  south  of  him  as  composed  of 
granite,  while  north  he  sees  only  limestone.  If  the 
features  are  so  varied  where  so  much  mineral  wealth 
is  known  to  exist,  it  is  only  fair  to  infer  that  when  the 
peninsula  is  explored  by  competent  observers  much  that 
will  enrich  the  little  kingdom  will  be  found  stored  away 
in  her  hills  and  woods. 

As  is  the  rule  in  the  East,  agriculture  is  on  a small 
scale.  Upland  and  lowland  are  cultivated,  the  latter 
for  rice,  the  former  for  varied  products.  The  reason 
for  the  small  area  of  cultivation  is  not  because  of  den- 
sity of  population — for  Korea  is  not  densely  populated — 
nor  because  of  dif&culty  in  obtaining  land.  As  Dr. 
Allen  says,*  All  unoccupied  land  belongs  to  the  king; 

* Korean  Tales,  by  H.  N.  Allen,  M.  D.,  New  York  and  London, 
1889,  p.  8. 


204 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


but  any  man  may  take  up  a homestead,  aud  after  tilling 
it  and  paying  taxes  on  it  for  a period  of  three  years  it 
becomes  his  own,  and  must  he  purchased  should  the 
government  need  it.”  It  is  rather  because  of  the  poor 
tools  which  the  Korean  farmer  has  at  his  command,  and 
of  his  small  needs,  which  do  not  demand  the  unceasing 
attention  which  the  care  of  a large  farm  would  claim. 
All  the  avei*age  Korean  cares  for  is  sufficient  to  tide 
him  over  from  one  year’s  end  to  anotlier.  Beyond  that, 
work  is  thrown  away.  What  territory  is  tilled  at  all  is 
well  tilled.  Their  ploughs  are  superior  to  those  of  Japan, 
but  they  throw  their  furrows  to  the  left.  Perhaps  the 
most  striking  of  their  instruments  is  the  shovel,  the 
mode  of  working  which  is  rather  unusual.  This  in- 
strument has  a straight  handle  about  seven  feet  long, 
which  is  set  into  the  blade,  and  this  is  made  of  wood, 
shod  at  the  point  aud  sides  with  iron.  In  the  upper 
corners  of  the  blade  holes  are  bored  aud  ropes  are  at- 
tached. Because  of  its  form  it  requires  an  odd  number 
of  men  to  work  it.  One  man  takes  the  handle,  holding 
it  nearly  perpendicularly  and  guiding  it  into  the  dirt, 
while  one,  two  or  three  men  hold  aud  pull  each  rope, 
throwing  or  carrying  the  soil  where  it  is  needed.  Work 
cau  be  done  very  rapidly  in  this  way,  aud  we  have  seen 
laborers  throw  earth  to  a distance  of  two  rods  with  one 
of  these  shovels.  The  principal  use  to  which  these  in- 
struments are  put  in  farm-work  is  in  clearing  out  the 
ditches  or  drains.  The  soil  is  full  of  springs,  and. 


Working  with  Sliovel.  Page  204. 


w 


RESOURCES. 


205 


moreover,  the  amount  of  rain  which  falls  in  the  rainy 
season  necessitates  the  opening  of  channels  for  drainage. 
Garden  plats  are  cultivated  mainly  by  the  use  of  a grub- 
bing-hoe.  On  the  farms  rude  harrows  with  wooden 
teeth,  and  even  mats  of^rush,  are  used  to  level  the  soil 
and  break  it  up.  Fielt^  not  plowed  level,  but  in  a 
succession  of  ridges,  so  tfi^jthey  look  more  like  maize- 
fields  than  anything  else.  oi(^,^tfden  patches  a succes- 
sion of  crops  is  raised  in  a seas^,:>The  climate  is  such 
that  nearly  all  the  products  foun^^5;fc  ^e  United  States 
can  be  grown  in  Korea. 

In  the  way  of  fruits  a great  variety  is  louud.  Apples 
such  as  we  have  are  not  found  there,  though  there  is  a 
variety  of  fruit  which  foreigners  call  apples,  rather  dry 
and  mealy,  but  having  a much  more  spicy  flavor  than 
our  apple.  Some  of  the  missiouaries  have  obtained 
grafts  from  Japan  and  China  which  are  doing  well. 
Of  pears  there  are  several  varieties,  though  it  requires 
a “ cultivated  taste  ’’  and  abstinence  from  home  fruits  to 
euable  one  to  like  them.  One  or  two  varieties  are  de- 
cidedly puckery,  reminding  the  eater  forcibly  of  the 
choke-pear.  The  standard  and  most  common  kind  are 
to  the  newcomer  a delusion  and  a snare.  They  resemble 
in  appearance  the  russet  apple,  being  round,  and  they 
have  the  rough,  tawny  skin  of  that  fruit.  The  first  we 
saw  were  on  the  steamer  plying  between  Nagasaki, 
Japan,  and  Chemulpo.  They  were  on  the  dinner-table, 
and  our  eyes  fairly  glistened  at  the  sight.  We  were 


206 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


sadly  disappointed  on  biting  them  to  find  them  tough 
and  woody,  though  exceedingly  juicy.  The  most  vola- 
tile of  our  party,  who  was  late  down  to  dinner,  and 
consequently  did  not  know  of  our  disappointment,  and 
who,  being  a Xew  Englander,  was  very  fond  of  russet 
apples,  on  his  entry  fairly  rushed  up  to  the  table,  and 
could  not  wait  for  dessert  to  get  a taste  of  the  russets. 
Winks  passed  around  as  we  marked  his  eagerness,  and  a 
chorus  of  laughter  greeted  the  disgust  his  countenance 
displayed.  Disappointing  as  they  are  to  the  newcomer, 
the  following  season,  or  at  any  rate  the  second  summer, 
will  bring  him  to  like  them,  for  they  contain  so  much 
juice  that  they  are  really  refreshing.  Plums  are  abun- 
dant and  of  good  quality,  though  the  season  is  short. 
They  are  not  as  large  as  our  largest  varieties,  but  are  of 
excellent  flavor,  though  apt  to  be  somewhat  affected  by 
the  curculio.  Apricots  and  nectarines  are  very  abundant, 
and  equal  in  flavor  the  best  of  those  grown  in  California. 
They  are  very  cheap,  but  some  caution  is  necessary  in  the 
eating  of  all  fruits  because  of  the  tendency  in  the  East 
to  bowel  troubles.  Of  peaches  there  is  a great  abun- 
dance, though  they  are  different  from  any  I have  seen 
in  our  own  land.  They  are  longer,  cling  closely  to  the 
stone  and  the  pulp  is  streaked  a deep  red,  which,  dropped 
on  the  clothing,  leaves  a very  persistent  stain.  These 
are  of  good  flavor,  though  the  pulp  is  quite  coarse. 
They  are  rather  dearer  than  other  fruit,  though  still  not 
dear  according  to  our  standards.  They  can  be  bought 


RESOURCES. 


207 


for  between  one  and  two  cents  each — not  a high  price  for 
a peach  larger  than  the  average  with  us.  The  trees  are 
cultivated  not  only  for  the  fruit,  but  for  the  flowers. 
These  come  out  before  the  leaves,  and  as  many  of  them 
are  a deep  scarlet  and  double,  an  orchard  of  peach 
trees  in  bloom  is  one  of  the  prettiest  sights  to  be  seen 
anywhere  in  the  spring.  The  peach-blossom  figures 
very  largely  in  the  artistes  work  both  in  Korea  and  in 
Japan.  Wild  grapes  of  the  small  variety  are  very 
abundant,  but  are  insipid.  There  is  grown  in  small 
quantities  a very  large  green  grape,  which  is  produced 
in  great  clusters  and  is  very  similar  in  flavor  to  the 
Tokay  grape.  This  variety  is  somewhat  difficult  to 
obtain.  I once  secured  a bunch  weighing  two  and  a 
half  pounds,  for  which  I paid  about  fifty  cents.  It 
was  the  most  shapely  cluster  I had  ever  seen. 

The  surprise  of  our  lives,  however,  was  met  when  we 
tasted  the  last  fruit  of  the  year.  After  my  return  I met 
a company  of  gentlemen,  one  afternoon,  who  questioned 
me  as  to  my  experience  in  the  hermit  kingdom.  At  last 
one  of  them  asked,  Well,  Gilmore,  what  fruit  did  you 
like  best  there  To  this  I unhesitatingly  replied, 
^‘The  persimmon,’’  at  which  they  burst  into  a loud 
laugh,  one  remarking,  What  a depraved  taste  !”  After 
letting  them  have  their  laugh  out,  I told  them  what  the 
fruit  was.  Of  course  their  knowledge  was  limited  to 
our  own  wild  persimmon,  which  is  recommended  to 
those  afflicted  with  too  great  extension  of  the  principal 


208 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


facial  orifice.  The  Korean  variety,  however,  even  when 
green,  is  scarcely  a reminiscence  of  our  own.  It  resem- 
bles in  appearance,  as  it  equals  in  size,  our  large,  smooth, 
pink  tomato,  so  much  so,  in  fact,  that  Koreans  call 
tomatoes  American  persimmons.’^  The  stones  are  no 
larger  than  the  stones  of  our  own  variety,  so  that  the 
pulp  is  much  more  abundant  than  in  ours.  This  fruit 
begins  to  come  into  market  from  the  first  to  the  middle 
of  September,  and  it  is  often  purchasable  till  the  first  of 
February.  It  is  constantly  on  the  table,  as  one  never 
seems  to  tire  of  it.  The  way  this  luscious  fruit  is  eaten 
is  to  pull  out  the  stem  and  then  scoop  out  the  pulp  with 
a spoon.  Well  cooled  in  the  refrigerator,  a persimmon 
is  as  refreshing  as  a draught  of  water  in  the  warm  days 
of  September  and  early  October. 

While  Japan  is  called  the  land  of  the  persimmon,  it 
is  certain  that  even  in  Japan  the  excellence  of  this  fruit 
is  never  realized  to  the  full.  The  Korean  variety  is  un- 
equaled. Fortunately,  the  raw  state  is  not  the  only  way 
in  which  these  fruits  are  eaten.  They  are  dried  and 
pressed,  and  when  in  this  shape  they  are  still  excellent 
and  are  a good  substitute  for  figs.  It  may  not  be  gen- 
erally known  that  in  October  and  November  this  fruit, 
though  not  in  its  perfection,  can  be  obtained  in  New 
York,  for  it  has  been  acclimated  in  California  and,  I 
believe,  in  Florida.  I venture  to  prophesy  that  when 
it  is  more  widely  known  it  will  make  a strong  bid  for 
the  favor  of  those  who  can  afford  the  luxury. 


RESOURCES. 


209 


Another  fruit  which  is  eaten  in  considerable  quantities 
is  the  jujube-berry ; but  though  the  flavor  is  agreeable 
to  some,  it  cannot.be  recommended,  as  it  causes  diarrhoea. 
Muskmelons  and  watermelons  are  both  indigenous, 
though  they  never  attain  the  perfection  they  reach 
in  the  United  States.  A Korean  watermelon  never 
reddens,  and  the  muskmelon  never  mellows.  It  is 
a peculiar  fact  that  seed  from  home  had  never,  up 
to  1889,  matured  in  Korea,  probably  owing  to  the 
plants’  being  fertilized  by  the  blowing  pollen  from 
native  varieties.  Ocoiasionally  one  finds  muskmelons 
in  the  market  which  have  a good  flavor,  but  they  are 
generally  insipid  and  do  not  suit  the  taste  of  foreigners. 
Strawberries  are  grown  by  foreigners  for  their  own 
tables,  and  produce  well  both  in  quantity  and  flavor. 

Of  vegetables  there  is  a great  abundance  and  great 
variety.  Potatoes  are  raised  in  the  north,  though  they 
are  not  a staple  article  of  diet,  as  with  us.  They  are 
generally  small,  though  the  report  is  that  the  yield  is 
very  good.  Sweet  potatoes  are  not  grown  except  in  the 
south,  though  they  are  so  very  abundant  in  Japan  as  to 
be  called  the  poor  man’s  food.”  Egg-plants  are  abun- 
dant and  cheap,  though  not  so  large  as  we  are  accustomed 
to  see.  A very  important  article  of  diet  to  Koreans  is 
their  lettuce  or  cabbage.  It  seems  most  like  a cross 
between  the  two.  Foreigners  do  not  use  it,  as  it  is  too 
coarse  for  use  as  a salad,  and  does  not  boil  well  as  a 
green.  Natives  consume  large  quantities  of  it,  using  it 

14 


210 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


raw  and  chopped  up  with  other  vegetables.  Another 
vegetable  important  to  Koreans  is  the  cucumber,  grow- 
ing much  larger  than  we  are  accustomed  to  see.  Ko  one 
who  has  not  visited  Korea  would  know  how  much  this 
production  is  to  the  people.  Many  a meal  consists  of 
nothing  but  a cucumber,  eaten  without  salt,  skin  and 
all.  It  is  the  main  reliance  of  many  after  the  last 
yearns  rice  is  consumed  and  before  the  new  crop  has 
been  gathered.  To  the  consumption  of  this  vegetable 
can  doubtless  be  attributed  part  of  the  great  mortality 
of  the  people  during  the  cholera  epidemics,  since  it  is 
the  principal  food  of  many  during  the  season  when  the 
scourge  is  at  its  height.  Another  extensively  culti- 
vated product  is  the  onion,  of  which  large  patches  are 
grown.  Of  beans  and  lentils  many  varieties,  all  small, 
are  grown ; they  are  used  for  food  by  man  and  beast.  In 
the  winter  a common  dish — and  by  some  foreigners  said 
to  be  a very  toothsome  one — is  made  of  sprouted  beans. 
Of  peas  like  ours  I have  never  seen  any,  though  they 
grow  luxuriantly  from  seed  imported  from  England  and 
the  United  States.  Several  varieties  of  squashes  of  ex- 
cellent quality  and  good  size  are  found,  and  are  sold  at 
very  low  rates.  I once  bought  a number,  most  of 
which  were  nearly  two  feet  long,  paying  four  cents 
each  for  the  lot.  The  castor-oil  bean  is  raised  for 
medicinal  and  ornamental  purposes,  nearly  always  as 
a border  for  other  crops.  Another  crop  very  ex- 
tensively raised  is  the  red  pepper.  Of  this  vegetable 


(jrain  Shoj).  Page  211. 


'VpJ' 

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RESOURCES. 


211 


enormous  quantities  are  eaten,  both  green  and  dried. 
Koreans  eat  it  in  almost  everything.  It  must  be  stated, 
however,  that  the  Korean  variety  is  not  nearly  so  hot  as 
that  we  find  growing  in  the  United  States.  In  the 
autumn  it  is  the  custom  to  pick  the  crop  and  place  it  on 
the  thatched  roofs  of  the  houses  to  dry.  As  the  pedes- 
trian gets  on  a hill  overlooking  a number  of  villages, 
the  landscape  seems  to  take  on  a very  brilliant  color, 
dotted  as  it  is  with  patches  of  bright  scarlet. 

Of  grains  the  principal  is  rice,  and  most  of  the  valleys 
are  taken  advantage  of  for  the  culture  of  this  cereal.  In 
a sufficiently  wet  season  there  is  a large  quantity  of  rice 
raised,  but  never  enough  for  the  needs  of  the  people. 
The  deficiency  is  supplied  from  Japan.  Barley  is  grown 
in  moderate  quantities,  and  is  sometimes  used  as  food  by 
the  poorer  classes,  but  its  principal  use  is  as  food  for 
cattle.  Wheat  is  very  little  known,  though  some  is 
grown  in  the  north  and  a little  around  the  capital.  A 
grain  which  is  very  useful  to  the  people  is  millet,  of 
which  there  are  several  varieties.  This  is  one  of  the 
most  graceful  of  cereals,  and  as  it  ripens,  its  heavy, 
well-filled  head  bowing  gracefully  on  its  strong  stem 
and  waving  to  the  wind,  it  makes  a very  pretty  picture. 
It  is  very  toothsome,  and  we  found  it  a pleasant  variant 
to  use  in  alternation  with  oatmeal,  cracked  wheat  and 
the  various  breakfast  cereals  obtained  from  the  United 
States. 

The  Koreans  have  a very  ingenious  way  of  keeping 


212 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL, 


the  birds  from  their  grain-fields.  The  country  is  over- 
run with  the  sparrow  and  magpie,  and  when  the  millet 
and  rice  are  ripening  they  settle  down  in  flocks  upon  the 
grain.  To  prevent  the  ruin  of  their  crops  the  farmers 
stakes  around  the  fields  of  grain,  and  connect  them 
k’hich  are  also  carried  across  the  fields,  and 


on  them  ar 

crows  are  set  up,  to  tne 


s of  rags,  while  other  scare- 
s of  which  the  strings  are 


attached.  Boys  are  employed  to  watch  the  field,  and, 
as  the  birds  attempt  to  settle,  to  shake  the  stakes  and 
strings  and  to  shout  with  lusty  lungs,  thus  keeping  the 
little  thieves  from  their  pilferings.  Three  or  four  boys, 
with  the  assistance  of  the  strings  and  stakes  and  a man 
to  keep  them  busy,  can  protect  quite  a large  field  from 
the  depredations  of  the  feathered  robbers. 

The  foregoing  list  includes  the  principal  resources  of 
the  inhabitants  for  food.  Large  granaries  are  placed  in 
the  principal  cities  and  in  the  fortresses,  in  which  the 
tribute  rice  is  stored  for  use  for  national  purposes.  In 
times  of  scarcity  these  granaries  are  sometimes  opened  for 
the  benefit  of  the  people.  The  real  purpose,  however, 
is  to  receive  the  tribute,  which  is  paid  in  kind,  and  to 
afford  sustenance  for  the  army  and  for  His  Majesty^s 
retainers. 

Other  agricultural  products  are  cotton,  of  not  very 
good  quality,  growing  rather  poor,  and  mulberry  trees 
for  the  silk  industry,  more  especially  in  the  south. 
Korean  silk  is  very  thin,  is  poorly  spun  and  not 


RESOURCES. 


213  . 


well  woven.  It  resembles  very  thin  pongee,  and  is  not 
likely  to  become  an  article  of  commerce.  Flax  is  also 
raised  to  some  extent,  and  a fair  quality  of  coarse  linen 
is  manufactured. 

Of  nuts,  the  English  walnut  and  the  large  chestnut 
are  particularly  abundant,  and  the  latter  is  so  very 
plentiful  that  it  is  an  acceptable  article  of  diet. 

Ploughing  is  done  with  oxen  or  cows.  All  the  farm- 
work  is  done  by  hand.  The  oxen  are  of  enormous  size, 
and  the  ordinary  cattle  one  meets  along  the  roads  are 
larger  than  the  average  prize  cattle  of  our  own  land. 
They  are  kept  by  the  natives  solely  as  beasts  of  labor 
and  burden,  for  Koreans  use  neither  butter  nor  milk. 
Foreigners  buy  the  cows  for  dairy  purposes,  but  natu- 
rally the  native  cattle  give  very  little  milk,  seldom  over 
two  quarts  at  a milking.  The  servants  do  not  under- 
stand the  dairy man^s  art,  and  are  unable  to  develop  the 
cow^s  milking  qualities.  The  principal  use  of  these  cat- 
tle is  as  beasts  of  burden,  and  in  a ride  of  a few  miles 
in  the  morning  a person  will  meet  hundreds  of  the 
patient  beasts  moving  slowly  along,  almost  entirely 
hidden  beneath  loads  of  grass  or  brush  or  wood  which 
are  being  taken  into  the  city  to  be  sold  as  fuel.  But  if 
the  oxen  are  of  large  size,  the  horses  or  ponies  make 
the  balance  even,  for  they  are  exceedingly  small.  It  is 
a large  animal  which  measures  fourteen  hands.  The 
consequence  is  that  a very  tall  foreigner  has  sometimes 
to  hold  his  feet  up  when  riding  on  a foreign  saddle. 


214 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


The  Koreans  escape  this  difficulty  by  having  their  sad- 
dles built  up  nearly  a foot  from  the  horse’s  back.  One 
of  the  ludicrous  sights  which  met  me  on  my  first  day 
in  the  country  was  one  of  these  little  animals  running 
away  with  a tall  foreigner  on  its  back,  and  the  gentle- 
man trying  to  stop  the  beast  by  dragging  his  feet  on  the 
ground.  This  course  eventually  brought  both  man  and 
horse  to  the  ground.  As  the  former  had  just  donned  a 
clean  white  suit,  he  did  not  look  very  resj)ectable  after 
his  encounter  with  Korean  dust. 

Chickens  are  plentiful  and  large,  and  are  bought 
readily  for  about  fifteen  cents  each.  They  therefore 
are  quite  an  item  in  the  foreigners’  bill  of  fare.  Eggs 
are  sold  by  the  yard.  They  are  placed  side  by  side  and 
rolled  in  wisps  of  straws,  each  wisp  being  nearly  a yard 
long  and  containing  ten  eggs.  These  also  are  cheap, 
looked  at  from  our  standpoint.  There  are  no  turkeys 
in  the  country,  but  occasionally  an  enterprising  for- 
eigner secures  one  from  China  in  order  to  grace  a 
Christmas  or  Thanksgiving  dinner- table. 

The  fisheries,  which  are  excellent,  produce  no  rev- 
enue for  the  kingdom,  as  the  fishermen  sell  only  to 
their  own  people.  Immense  quantities  are  dried,  and 
various  and  queer  are  the  ways  for  preserving  them. 

A few  pearls  are  found,  but  very  few  of  good  shape 
and  color,  most  of  them,  though  large,  being  flat  and 
dark.  They  are  highly  esteemed  among  the  people, 
and  bring  good  prices  from  officials. 


RESOURCES. 


215 


A great  deal  of  ginseng  is  found  by  the  people,  but 
this  must  be  turned  over  at  a certain  valuation  to  the 
officials,  to  be  sold  for  the  king’s  benefit,  as  the  exporta- 
tion of  ginseng  to  China  is  a monopoly  of  the  crown. 
China  consumes  large  quantities  of  it,  and  it  is  there 
considered  the  very  best  of  medicines.  The  revenue 
thus  accruing  is  said  to  be  very  large,  and  the  drug 
brings  enormous  prices  in  Korea.  It  was  reported 
that  it  is  a capital  offence  to  smuggle  ginseng  from 
the  country. 

As  Dr.  Griffis  states  in  his  Corea,  the  Hermit  Nation, 
the  last  great  invasion  of  the  peninsula  by  the  Japanese 
marks  the  death  of  Korean  industry  and  art  and  the 
renaissance  of  Japanese  art.  The  Japanese  when  they 
retired  carried  away  with  them  every  artisan  they  could 
learn  of,  and  so  brought  about  a revival  of  industry  and 
of  production  of  art  objects  in  their  own  country  and 
the  extinction  of  both  in  Korea.  There  cannot  be 
claimed  now  for  Korea  any  important  manufacture. 
The  two  lines  in  which  the  most  is  done  is  in  the 
way  of  cabinet-work  and  the  production  of  sets  and 
pieces  of  brassware. 

It  may  be  said  here  that  there  is  no  necessity  for  a 
family,  say  of  missionaries,  who  intend  to  live  in  Korea 
to  take  bureaus  with  them.  They  will  find  there  cabi- 
nets, large,  roomy,  convenient  and  ornamental,  at  a less 
price  than  bureaus  command  here.  One  made  of  hard 
wood  which  we  had  while  in  the  country  stood  six  feet 


216 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


high,  and  was  four  feet  wide  by  one  and  a half  feet  deep. 
The  front  was  of  curled  maple  veneering,  with  the  pat- 
terns of  the  wood  beautifully  matched,  and  trimmed 
with  heavy  brass  designs  of  butterflies,  etc.,  the  doors 
being  fitted  with  brass  liinges.  It  had  two  large  closet- 
like apartments,  and  fourteen  small  drawers  suitable  for 
table  cutlery  and  other  small  table  furniture.  The  cost 
of  that  article  was  five  dollars  in  gold.  Smaller  ones, 
suitable  for  washing-stands,  were  at  that  time  obtain- 
able for  three  dollars,  and,  as  they  were  easily  moved, 
were  very  convenient  articles  of  furniture.  One  street 
of  the  capital  is  called  by  foreigners  Cabinet  Street,’^ 
because  the  shops  on  both  sides  are  nearly  all  devoted 
to  the  sale  of  these  articles.  Considering  the  price  of 
these  cabinets  and  the  value  they  would  have  in  the 
United  States,  I have  often  wondered  that  the  supply 
was  not  exhausted  for  American  use. 

The  Koreans  turn  out  an  excellent  line  of  brassware, 
some  of  the  dinner-sets  being  especially  fine.  One  of 
these  I have  at  my  home,  consisting  of  thirty-two  pieces, 
nicely  turned,  and  which  cost  me  about  three  dollars  in 
gold.  These,  too,  are  made  only  for  domestic  use ; none 
are  exported.  In  the  making  of  both  brass- work  and 
cabinets  no  originality  is  shown,  and  each  piece  is 
modeled  after  a pattern  with  great  exactness.*  Every- 
thing seems  to  be  stereotyped  and  a reproduction  of 
something  after  which  it  is  made. 

Ill  the  south  some  mother-of-pearl  work  is  done 


RESOURCES. 


217 


which  has  a very  pretty  effect,  and  indeed  a few  pieces 
show  great  artistic  taste.  One  cabinet  of  about  the  same 
dimensions  as  the  one  spoken  of  above,  inlaid  on  two 
sides  and  on  the  front  with  exceedingly  fine  work,  Avas 
offered  at  thirty-five  dollars,  Mexican,  and  was  sold  for 
twenty-four.  Undoubtedly  the  piece  in  New  York 
would  have  commanded  two  hundred  dollars. 

Fans  of  various  sizes,  shapes  and  materials  are  made 
in  the  country,  and  as  tribute  to  His  Majesty  is  paid  iu 
kind,  he  has  a vast  number  to  give  as  presents  to  his 
servants  and  to  the  nobles  who  have  duties  at  the 
palace.  These  fans  are  far  superior  in  strength  to 
those  of  Japanese  make,  though  the  paper  is  pasted 
only  on  one  side.  The  bamboo  which  forms  the 
framework  is  well  polished,  often  decorated  with  great 
patience  and  pretty  effect.  Some  of  the  open  fans, 
made  with  paper,  are  marvels  of  cleverness  in  color- 
ing, and  some  which  have  been  brought  or  sent  to 
friends  in  the  United  States  have  been  thought  superior 
to  anything  seen  here,  as  they  certainly  excelled  in 
oddity.  Another  industry  peculiar  to  Korea  is  the 
making  of  Kang-Wha  mats.  These  are  made  at 
Kang-Wha  (where  our  marines  just  escaped  the  deadly 
fire  of  the  Korean  fort),  of  rushes  Avhich  are  cultivated 
only  there.  These  mats  are  made  about  three  to  four 
feet  wide  and  from  eight  to  sixteen  feet  long.  The 
patterns,  which  look  as  though  they  Avere  painted  on, 
arc  really  made  of  short  pieces  of  stained  rush  seived 


218 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


on,  but  so  closely  and  carefully  done  that  only  the 
minutest  examination  reveals  the  secret  of  their  make- 
up. These  are  not  made  even  for  domestic  commerce, 
but  are  meant  for  His  Majesty’s  use  alone.  But  they 
find  their  way  into  the  market  through  being  presented 
at  the  palace  to  this  or  that  mandarin,  whence  they  pass 
for  ready  money  into  the  merchant’s  hands.  Very  nice 
window-shades  are  made  of  bamboo  split  and  worked 
into  fine  round  slips  about  as  large  as  cotton  cord, 
and  then  fastened  together  with  silk  and  ornamented 
with  set  patterns  stained  into  the  bamboo. 

In  the  way  of  fine  pottery  Korea  is  no  longer  a pro- 
ducer. All  that  work  is  now  done  in  Japan  or  China. 
It  must  be  galling  to  the  Korean  who  knows  the  history 
of  his  country  to  see,  when  walking  through  the  streets, 
the  booths  and  shops  filled  with  pottery  imported  from 
Japan,  and  to  remember  that  Japan  forcibly  imported 
from  Korea  the  men  who  taught  the  Japanese  how  to 
make  porcelain,  and  thus  made  this  a lost  art  to  the  Kore- 
ans. In  fairness  to  the  Japanese,  however,  it  must  be 
conceded  that  the  art  has  not  been  stationary  with  them. 
Unquestionably,  Koreans  never  made  such  graceful  and 
delicate  ware  as  the  patient  Japs  turn  out.  I have  seen 
much  old  Korean  pottery,  said  to  be  of  the  finest  grade 
that  the  peninsula  ever  turned  out,  and  none  at  all  ap- 
proached in  beauty  of  form,  variety  and  delicacy  of 
ornamentation  or  in  perfection  of  finish  the  exquisite 
porcelain  of  modern  Japan. 


Mural  Decorations.  Dage  21U. 


RESOURCES. 


219 


Useful  articles  of  pottery  of  the  coarser  grades  are 
made  iu  abimdauce,  and  in  the  making  of  tiles,  of  pipes 
for  conduits  and  of  earthenware  jars  of  various  sizes 
Koreans  are  still  adepts. 

The  art  productions  of  Korea  are  very  few.  They 
are  confined  to  embroidery,  the  prod^«|ion  of  mother- 
of-pearl  cabinets,  dining-tables,  pillb^^ds,  etc.,  en- 


graving on  wood  for  decoration  of  lef&^^iper,  color- 
painting for  the  decoration  of  fans  an(^^reens  and 
work  in  the  ornamentation  of  walls  of  housS|wd  court- 
yards. 

The  forcible  deportation  of  artists  in  the  last  J^^nese 
invasion  has  already  been  referred  to  as  causing  ^^ex- 
tinction of  art  in  Korea.  In  the  pearl-work  something 
is  still  done,  the  cabinets  and  little  dining-tables  and 
boxes  being  covered  with  a black,  glossy  and  very 
tenacious  paste,  into  which  the  pieces  of  mother-of- 
pearl  are  set,  and  which  hardens  into  a material  which 
endures  well  the  attacks  of  time.  Some  of  this  pearl- 
work  is  exceedingly  pretty,  and  excels  both  in  artistic 
quality  and  durability  much  of  that  done  in  Japan. 
Embroidery  is  continually  being  done  in  the  palace, 
where  a trained  corps  of  women  are  kept  for  this 
purpose.  They  do  work  on  silk  for  screen-panels,  and 
though  exceedingly  conventional  in  their  treatment  of 
rocks,  clouds,  water  and  landscape  generally,  their  figures 
of  birds,  butterflies,  bats  and  the  palm  and  bamboo  are 
very  correct  and  lifelike.  I have  seen  very  few  Korean 


220 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


paintings,  and  most  of  those  only  in  one  or  other  of  the 
palaces.  To  a Western  eye  they  were  exceedingly 
ridiculons,  showing  not  even  the  most  elementary 
knowledge  of  perspective.  In  the  temples  erected  to 
the  honor  of  deified  heroes  there  are  usually  a number 
of  paintings  purporting  to  portray  the  important  events 
and  achievements  in  the  lives  of  the  heroes.  These  bear 
a very  marked  resemblance  to  similar  paintings  in 
Japan,  the  style  of  execution  being  the  same. 

The  tourist  when  passing  along  the  street  often  sees 
little  disks  of  decorated  work,  sometimes  cloth  em- 
broidered, sometimes  of  wood  inlaid  with  mother-of 
pearl,  and  again  of  carved  stone-work,  these  disks  vary- 
ing in  diameter  from  four  inches  to  ten,  and  always 
going  in  pairs.  His  curiosity  will  be  aroused,  and  only 
whetted  when  he  learns  that  they  are  pillow-ends,  since 
there  is  nothing  about  them  to  suggest  a pillow,  accord- 
ing to  his  notions  of  Avhat  a pillow  should  be.  He  wdll 
soon  learn  that  a Korean  pillow  is  a small  roll  filled 
with  cotton,  and  that  these  disks  are  the  ends,  which  are 
decorated  according  to  the  fancy  and  means  of  the  owner. 
Some  of  these  bear  designs,  the  favorite  being  tigers, 
bats  and  Chinese  characters.  I have  quite  a collection 
of  these,  which  show  the  native  liking  for  decoration  of 
this  sort.  A curio  which  is  much  affected  by  tourists  is 
a little  iron  puzzle  box,  the  iron  being  inlaid  with  silver 
in  a curious  way  in  various  patterns.  Possibly  this 
work  is  done  in  Japan,  but  I have  never  seen  it  outside 


RESOURCES. 


221 


of  the  Korean  peninsula.  In  their  correspondence 
Koreans,  as  well  as  Japanese,  like  to  use  decorated 
paper,  the  decorations  being  stamped  on  with  wooden 
plates  carved  in  relief.  Some  exceedingly  pretty  work 
is  done  in  this  line,  one  block  in  my  possession  giving 
a very  graceful  impression. 

In  the  foreign  commercial  relations  there  is  as  yet 
little  inducement  for  foreigners  to  enter  the  country. 
Chinamen  are  there  in  great  numbers,  as  also  Japanese, 
who  have  opened  stores  where  nearly  everything  of 
foreign  production  can  be  obtained.  Since  Chinese  and 
Japanese  can  live  very  much  cheaper  than  Western  mer- 
chants, as  a rule  they  can  sell  for  much  less,  and  conse- 
quently there  is  nothing  to  induce  traders  to  settle  there. 
Besides  this,  the  poverty  of  the  people  is  so  great  that 
they  are  unable  to  pay  the  high  prices  Western-made 
articles  command.  Two  firms,  one  German  and  one 
American,  do  business  in  the  capital,  but  the  bulk  of 
their  trade  is  with  the  palace  and  the  government 
directly  in  the  furnishing  of  arms,  gatling-guns  and 
furniture,  and,  of  course,  the  inevitable  champagne  and 
liquor.  These  commodities  are  fortunately  too  high 
priced  for  the  masses,  so  there  is  less  danger  than 
might  be  expected  of  the  corruption  of  the  Korean 
people  by  the  introduction  of  fiery  drinks.  The  most 
important  imports  from  England  are  unbleached  mus- 
lin, out  of  which  clothing  is  made,  rice  and  silk  from 
Japan  and  silk  from  China.  A curious  penchant  of 


222 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL, 


Koreans  is  for  cuckoo  clocks.  The  cuckoo  is  a native 
of  the  peninsula,  and  people  seem  never  tired  of  enter- 
ing a store  and  listening  to  the  cry  of  the  birds  which 
come  out  of  the  clocks  and  tell  the  hour.  Dozens  of  these 
are  kept  in  the  Chinese  stores,  and  they  sell  readily  at  a 
good  profit.  Woollen  goods  are  not  used  in  the  penin- 
sula, as  will  be  seen  in  the  chapter  on  dress.  There  is  a 
greater  probability  of  opening  up  a trade  in  agricultural 
implements  than  of  anything  else  as  yet.  Ploughs, 
harrows,  hoes,  shovels,  rakes,  spades,  axes,  hatchets, 
hammers  and  various  carpenters’  tools,  and  such  im- 
plements, will  probably  make  their  way,  as  they  are 
superior  to  those  of  native  make.  As  sawing  is  done 
by  hand,  probably  small  circular  saws  with  horse-power 
attachments  would  be  taken  up  readily.  Unfortunately 
for  Americans,  the  Eastern  market  is  well  occupied  by 
the  English.  China,  Japan  and  Korea  take  most  of 
their  cotton  and  articles  of  foreign  manufacture  from 
England.  Yet,  at  least  in  Japan  and  Korea,  if  national 
sentiment  had  any  weight,  the  bulk  of  trade  would  be 
with  our  own  country.  The  writer  does  not  intend  to 
enter  on  a tariff  discussion  any  further  than  to  state 
the  fact  that  in  these  Eastern  countries,  which  are 
nearer  to  the  United  States  than  to  England,  and  the 
population  of  which  numbers  about  five  hundred  mil- 
lions, the  people  in  which  are  more  favorably  dis- 
posed to  the  United  States  than  to  any  other  nation, 
practically  the  whole  trade  is  with  England.  There 


RESOURCES. 


223 


is  at  any  rate  room  for  thought  whether  a policy  which 
shuts  out  our  manufacturers  from  competition  with  those 
of  a nation  which  is  hated  and  feared,  and  which  com- 
pels us  to  look  to  domestic  consumption  alone,  is  not  in 
the  long  run,  whatever  it  may  be  now,  a mistaken  one. 
Clearly,  a time  is  coming  when  Americans  will  desire 
foreign  trade  as  an  outlet  for  superabundant  manufact- 
ures. Bearing  in  mind  the  conservative  tendencies  of 
Eastern  nations  and  the  largeness  of  the  stake,  one 
would  suppose  that  the  catering  to  the  wants  of  over 
one-third  of  the  population  of  the  world  would  be 
looked  to,  since  the  earliest  on  the  ground  is  likely  to 
stay  the  longest.  With  the  ground  early  occupied  and  a 
reputation  for  fair  dealing  established,  the  United  States 
could  doubtless  in  the  near  future  have  a profitable  trade 
with  the  twelve  to  fifteen  millions  of  Koreans,  and  not 
less  with  the  hundreds  of  millions  of  Chinese.  Kero- 
sene from  America  is  used  very  largely.  Other  things 
might  be  profitably  introduced. 

At  the  same  time,  it  must  be  remembered  that  the 
average  commercial  transaction  is  very  small.  The 
coin  of  Korea  is  the  ^^cash,’^  which,  however,  is  not 
uniform  over  the  country.  The  piece  in  use  at  the 
capital,  which  is  called  a five-cash  piece,  has  about  the 
value  of  one-fourth  of  a cent.  This  is  the  basis  of  cal- 
culation. Twenty-five  dollars’  worth  of  this  is  a load 
for  a coolie.  The  comparative  smallness  of  even  the 
largest  Korean  transaction  can  be  seen  from  this.  In 


224 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


dealings  with  foreign  countries  the  Mexican  dollar  used 
to  be  the  basis,  but  since  it  was  so  greatly  debased  and 
sweated  and  tampered  with  by  the  Chinese,  it  has  been 
largely  replaced  by  the  Japanese  yen,  a beautiful  coin 
engraved  with  such  fine  designs  and  so  excellently 
milled  that  even  the  Chinese  experts  at  stealing  silver 
from  coins  and  plugging  them  up  are  unable  to  operate 
upon  it.  Kerosene  is  retailed  in  quantities  of  about  a 
gill,  and  if  a native  has  made  a sale  of  a case  to  a for- 
eigner (a  thing  he  can  do  only  in  an  emergency,  since 
the  Koreans  often  dilute  their  kerosene  with  water),  he 
has  set  himself  up  in  business  on  quite  a large  scale. 
The  above,  then,  is  a gauge  for  the  extent  of  the  retail 
mercantile  operations.  Yet  with  patience,  with  the  in- 
troduction of  cheaper  grades  of  woollen  goods  and  with 
the  development  of  resources  a respectable  trade  will 
doubtless  develop  with  the  once  hermit  nation. 

The  balance  of  trade,  which  is  against  Korea,  is  paid 
mainly  by  the  exportation  of  gold-dust.  Considerable 
aid  is  derived  from  the  exportation  of  ginseng  to  China. 
Occasionally  large  consignments  of  beans  to  Japan  re- 
duce the  balance  against  Korea.  Yet  the  country  can- 
not be  said  to  be  in  a safe  way  to  a healthy  financial 
condition  until  it  learns  to  develop  what  must  prove 
from  the  beginning  to  be  its  main  sources  of  reliance — a 
healthier  and  more  energetic  system  of  agriculture,  and 
the  opening  of  mining  interests,  under  proper  restrictions, 
by  foreign  capital  (until  Koreans  have  learned  how  such 


RESOURCES. 


225 


operations  should  be  carried  on),  in  all  this  acting  with 
more  candor  and  less  distrust  toward  the  people  to  whom 
it  must  commit  the  developing  of  its  resources.  With 
the  customs  left  under  its  present  able  and  honest  man- 
agement, though  it  were  better  if  freed  from  Chinese 
interference  and  dictation,  and  with  China  compelled 
to  keep  hands  entirely  off,  a very  few  years  would  see 
Korea  rivaling  Japan  in  the  advance  toward  wealth  and 
prosperity. 

15 


CHAPTER  XII. 


PROGRESS  TOWARD  CIVILIZATION, 

'TT  ORE  A has  now  been  a member  of  the  family  of 
nations  for  eight  years,  and  naturally  the  thought- 
ful are  beginning  to  ask  what  has  been  accomplished. 
Japan  on  the  one  side  has  made  wonderful  strides.  She 
has  thrown  off  the  incubus  of  feudalism.  She  has 
entered  the  markets  of  the  world,  and  her  products 
have  become  an  appreciable  factor  in  the  calculations 
of  the  statisticians  of  commerce.  Her  people  are  doing 
all  they  can  to  become  Westernized.  National  support 
of  native  temples  has  been  withdrawn.  Her  sons  have 
been  educated  in  European  and  American  universities. 
Her  own  school  system  is  modeled  after  Western  pat- 
terns. European  and  American  instructors  sit  in  her 
professorial  chaii’s.  Her  military  and  naval  officers 
have  learned  their  lessons  at  Western  military  and 
naval  schools.  A constitution  similar  to  that  of  some 
of  the  European  governments  has  been  adopted.  The 
government  from  being  an  absolute  monarchy  has 
now  become  a constitutional  government,  with  its  pro- 
visions copied  after  and  suggested  by  European  and 
226 


PROGRESS  TOWARD  CIVILIZATION, 


227 


American  instruments.  In  fact,  Japan  is  losing  a great 
deal  of  its  Orientalism.  Such  is  the  tendency  of  one 
of  Korea’s  great  neighbors.  Now,  what  of  the  other  ? 
As  Japan  represents  the  radical  or  progressive,  China 
represents  the  ultra-conservative.  Hardly  a step  toward 
Occidentalism  does  she  take  without  being  forced.  Al- 
most every  movement  out  of  her  past  has  been  at  the 
point  of  a bayonet  held  by  a superior  power.  A China- 
man who  received  his  education  in  Columbia  College 
once  said  to  the  author : Every  foot  of  progress  China 

has  made  she  has  been  thrashed  into  making.  Each 
war  she  has  waged  and  each  defeat  she  has  experienced 
has  taught  her  a lesson.  A small  English  force  a few 
years  ago  marched  without  difficulty  from  Tientsin  to 
the  capital,  but  they  could  not  do  it  to-day.  Every 
time  China  has  had  to  take  a plum  of  Western  civiliza- 
tion she  has  shaken  her  head  and  shut  her  teeth  and 
said,  ^ I won’t  have  it.’  And  the  only  way  she  has  been 
made  to  take  it  was  by  prying  open  her  teeth  with  the 
bayonet  and  pushing  it  down  her  throat.  And  even 
then  she  had  to  be  watched  to  see  that  she  did  not  take 
an  emetic.”  That  is  the  testimony  of  a Chinaman.  A 
close  observer  once  said  of  her  religion  : It  is  almost 

as  difficult  to  convert  an  adult  Chinaman  who  has  been 
faithfully  nurtured  in  his  belief  as  to  transplant  a full- 
grown  pine  from  the  forest  to  a garden  and  make  it 
grow.”  Those,  therefore,  who  know  the  tendencies  of 
these  nations  have  naturally  been  watching  carefully  to 


228 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


see  which  of  them  Korea  will  follow — Japan  and  Occi- 
dentalism, or  China  and  the  Oriental  conservatism. 

Let  us  see  what  has  been  done.  Only  a mention  of 
the  opening  of  three  ports  by  treaty  need  be  made : it 
is  the  results  of  that  opening  in  which  we  are  interested. 
It  will  be  remembered  that  in  1883  His  Majesty  sent  an 
embassy  headed  by  Prince  Min  Yong  Ik  to  America, 
and  that  this  embassy  was  received  in  the  United  States 
with  open  arms.  The  members  were  shown  much  of 
the  country.  They  were  told  not  a little  of  the  opera- 
tions of  the  government.  Our  educational  system  came 
under  their  view.  And  when  their  visit  was  termi- 
nated, and  they  were  escorted  back  in  a United  States 
man-of-war,  they  expressed  themselves  as  impressed 
with  the  greatness  and  excellence  of  Western  govern- 
ment. Among  other  things  recommended  was  the 
starting  of  a school  under  royal  auspices,  and  the 
American  Government  was  asked  to  nominate  three 
competent  young  men  to  undertake  the  management 
and  teacliing  of  this  institution.  Negotiations  were 
conducted  ably,  thoughtfully  and  disinterestedly  by 
Lieutenant  Foulke,  U.  S.  N.,  then  charge  d’affaires 
ad  interim  for  the  United  States.  The  author  was  one 
of  the  three  nominated,  and  we  expected  to  proceed  some 
time  during  1884  or  early  in  1885.  In  the  late  winter 
of  1884-85  the  excessive  and  bloodthirsty  zeal  of  some 
of  the  radicals  precipitated  a revolution  which  seemed 
likely  to  nullify  the  preparations  made;  but,  as  events 


PROGRESS  TOWARD  CIVILIZATION. 


229 


showed,  it  only  delayed  our  departure  till  1886.  We 
were  summoned  in  the  spring  of  that  year,  and  landed 
on  Korean  soil  July  4th.  We  found  the  Koreans  ready 
to  welcome  us  and  do  us  all  honor.  Houses  had  been 
bought  and  partly  prepared  for  our  occupation,  school- 
buildings  and  quarters  for  the  scholars  were  well  under 
way  and  everything  looked  promising.  But  the  pro- 
verbial slowness  of  the  Orient  harassed  us,  and  it  was 
the  last  week  in  September  before  we  got  to  work. 
The  pupils  belonged  to  the  nobility,  and  were  appointed 
by  the  king.  Thirty-five  were  named  as  our  first  class, 
of  whom  thirty  began  attendance  on  the  exercises.  We 
found  that  not  one  of  them  knew  a word  of  English,  so 
that  we  had  to  begin  with  the  alphabet.  Three  inter- 
preters were  attached  to  the  school,  one  for  each  of  the 
teachers.  These  we  found  helpful  at  the  start,  though 
we  could  soon  have  dispensed  with  their  services.  A 
word  should  be  spoken  here  about  the  purpose  of  the 
school.  There  are  two  parties  in  Korea,  which  may  be 
called  the  Conservatives  and  the  Progressists.  The 
king  is  at  heart  a Progressist.  He  is  not  a radical, 
but  a ruler  who  believes  his  people  can  be  benefited 
by  being  led  up  to  a higher  level,  but  with  the  wdse 
determination  not  to  have  them  led  faster  than  they 
can  follow.  He  is  surrounded  by  men  steeped  in 
Chinese  dogmatism  and  conservatism.  China  herself, 
as  will  be  shown  in  the  chapter  on  foreign  relations, 
is  continually  interfering  to  retard  progress.  Charges 


230 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL, 


are  trumped  up  agaiust  those  of  the  king’s  counselors 
who  are  supposed  to  support  him  in  this  policy,  and 
these  men  are  in  one  way  or  another  gotten  out  of 
the  way.  There  is  thus  a constant  need  for  men  who 
are  prepared  to  support  His  Majesty  in  his  measures 
of  progress.  Our  school  was  expected  to  do  this.  It 
was  supposed  that  the  scholars  by  association  with  men 
representing  Western  culture  and  attainments,  having 
learned  something  of  enlightenment  and  its  blessings, 
would  become  liberals  and  firm  supporters  of  the  king. 
Thus  far  that  end  has  been  attained.  And  it  is  the 
belief  of  the  teachers  that  in  no  way  can  a civilization 
which  will  raise  Korea  out  of  its  present  low  estate 
get  so  firm  a foundation  as  by  gaining  supporters  among 
the  governing  class. 

To  return  to  the  work  of  the  school : The  scholars 
learned  very  rapidly.  Their  memories  had  been  de- 
veloped by  the  study  of  Chinese.  Our  teaching  was 
by  daily  praxis.  As  soon  as  the  scholars  had  learned 
a small  vocabulary,  natural  science  and  mathematics 
were  brought  before  them,  and  they  learned  English 
through  these  channels.  Their  eyes  were  opened  by 
one  of  the  first  lessons  in  geography,  when  they  heard 
for  the  first  time  of  the  relative  unimj)ortance  of  their 
little  kingdom.  Their  country  goes  by  the  name  of 
Tai  Cho  Son,”  great  Clio  Son.  They  learned  that 
the  title  great”  was  a misnomer.  But  as  economics 
was  brought  to  their  attention  the  truth  was  soon  grasped 


PBOGRESS  TOWARD  CIVILIZATION. 


231 


that  a country  which  developed  its  resources  and  paid 
its  debts,  no  matter  what  its  rank  in  greatness  among 
the  nations,  gained  the  respect  of  the  world. 

In  intellectual  ability  the  Koreans  rank  well.  We 
found,  however,  that  we  had  to  be  on  our  guard  against 
merely  memoriter  work.  The  tendency  was  to  commit 
sentences  and  to  store  them  up  for  possible  future  use. 
Notwithstanding  this,  we  found  good  logicians,  bright 
mathematicians  and,  now  and  then,  promising  philologists 
among  them.  Unfortunately,  our  work  was  hampered 
by  the  distrust  of  foreigners  which  is  universal  in  the 
East.  The  school  board  of  mandarins  winked  at  the 
lax  attendance  of  the  scholars.  The  idea  of  steady 
application  is  repugnant  to  a Korean.  As  there  is  no 
royal  road  to  knowledge,  of  course  our  scholars  had  to 
study.  We  naturally  were  on  our  mettle.  At  the  same 
time,  we  endeavored  to  have  them  digest  thoroughly 
what  we  gave  them.  Soon  application  was  made  to 
shorten  the  school  hours  from  six  to  four  hours  a day 
during  the  winter.  We  protested  against  this,  but  to 
no  avail.  The  work  was  too  hard,  they  thought,  and 
the  scholars  who  were  officials  were  influential  enough 
to  secure  this  favor  from  His  Majesty.  Soon  we  found 
these  same  scholars  missing  days  at  school  on  the  pre- 
tense of  business  at  the  palace,’’  and  this  in  the  face 
of  the  fact  that  for  three  months  not  a day’s  absence 
had  marred  the  record  of  any  scholar.  The  president 
and  vice-president  of  the  school  were  nice,  easy-going 


232 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


fellows  who  were  easily  imposed  upon,  and  they  readily 
listened  to  excuses  in  reply  to  our  complaints.  Finally 
but  few  of  the  rank  men  or  scholars  with  official 
position  attended.  They  had  a smattering  of  English, 
could  talk  a little,  and  'were  too  indolent  to  work  since 
they  could  get  along  without  it.  Meanwhile  the  younger 
scholars  had  been  doing  fine  work.  The  best  scholars 
were  the  youngest  boys  and  those  who  could  hope  for 
advancement  through  their  English  studies.  The  efforts 
of  the  school  board,  at  the  examination  held  in  the 
presence  of  the  king,  to  pass  as  good  scholars  men  who 
had  done  no  work  met  the  defeat  it  deserved.  Experi- 
ence suggested  ways  of  getting  men  to  work.  It  was 
suggested  that  the  appointers  should  all  be  without 
official  rank,  that  rank  should  be  bestowed  for  scholar- 
ship and  that  absence  beyond  a specified  time  should 
forfeit  the  appointment  or  cadetship.  Improvement 
was  manifest  from  that  time.  The  scholars  have  an 
incentive  for  work.  With  perhaps  a single  exception, 
all  scholars  who  have  attended  the  school  have  by  their 
association  with  the  teachers  and  by  what  they  have 
learned  been  made  opponents  of  the  policy  which  would 
shut  up  Korea  within  herself,  if  that  were  possible. 
One  purpose  of  the  school  has  been  gained,  and  if  the 
machinations  of  the  Chinese  do  not  prevail,  and  if  the 
school  founded  in  the  capital  be  allowed  to  develop  into 
something  like  the  school  system  which  is  bearing  such 
excellent  fruit  in  Japan,  the  possibility  of  the  develop- 


PROGRESS  TOWARD  CIVILIZATION. 


233 


ment  of  the  peninsula  will  become  not  merely  a prob- 
ability, but  a certainty.  When  the  three  teachers 
reached  Korea  they  found  there  a school  for  inter- 
preters taught  by  a Mr.  Halifax,  a man  who,  though 
not  a scholar,  yet  deserved  all  praise  for  his  attain- 
ments, which  were  self-acquired.  He  was  an  English- 
man, and  had  been,  it  was  said,  a common  sailor.  He 
had  studied  telegraphy,  and  had  gone  to  Korea  to  take 
a position  in  the  telegraph  service.  Disappointed  in 
this,  he  had  secured  the  opening  of  a school  for  train- 
ing interpreters,  and,  considering  the  opportunities  he 
had  had,  did  very  good  work.  We  hoped  this  school 
would  be  continued,  as  we  foresaw  that  were  this  not 
done,  possibly  we  should  lose  our  best  scholars  through 
the  demand  for  interpreters  at  the  legations,  at  the  for- 
eign office  and  in  various  other  departments.  As  inter- 
preters commanded  from  twenty-five  to  one  hundred 
dollars  per  month,  a large  sum  for  a Korean,  the  in- 
ducements such  positions  would  offer  would  likely  take 
from  us  our  best  men.  Unfortunately,  the  school  was 
shut  up.  Mr.  Halifax  blamed  the  teachers,  though,  as 
said  above,  this  course  was  against  our  wishes.  The  ex- 
pected did  happen,  and  one  or  two  of  the  best  scholars 
were  detailed  to  this  kind  of  work.  We  consoled  our- 
selves with  the  reflection  that  our  scholars  were  thus  put 
into  positions  of  usefulness,  and  could  make  a return  for 
their  tuition  and  support  under  the  government  in  sub- 
serving the  interests  of  civilization. 


234 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


But  the  above  two  schools  are  not  the  only  places 
where  instruction  in  the  English  language  and  in  West- 
ern science  was  given.  The  two  principal  missions  have 
schools  where  daily  lessons  are  the  rule.  In  the  Methodist 
mission  a large  part  of  the  time  of  the  clerical  members 
is  devoted  to  instruction  in  English  and  the  elementary 
branches.  Of  course  there  is  more  or  less  religious 
instruction  given  there,  as  the  superintendent  is  resolved 
that,  since  the  school  is  paid  for  by  mission  funds  and 
many  of  the  scholars  are  supported  in  the  same  way, 
the  instruction  shall  not  be  irreligious.  This  school 
is  training  men  whom  the  government  is  already  putting 
into  its  offices.  Interpreters  are  going  out  from  the 
school  into  government  service,  carrying  with  them 
new  ideas  concerning  the  world  and  the  relations  of 
man  to  man  and  of  nation  to  nation.  The  Methodist 
Church  is  thus  contributing  to  the  development  of 
Korea. 

The  Presbyterian  mission,  under  the  sanction  of  His 
Majesty,  has  established  an  orphanage  for  boys  and  one 
for  girls.  These  boys  and  girls  are  regularly  indentured, 
and  are  given  up  for  training  in  all  respects.  Under  the 
care  of  the  Rev.  H.  G.  Underwood,  D.  D.  what  is  re- 
garded as  the  most  promising  feature  of  the  Presbyterian 
mission  to  Korea  has  been  wisely  managed.  The  boys 
are  being  trained  in  such  a way  that  they  will  be  the 
peers  of  their  associates  when  they  come  to  manhood. 
Not  only  is  instruction  in  English  given  them  every 


(ireat  East  Gate.  Eage  ‘235. 


PROGEESS  TOWARD  CIVILIZATION. 


235 


day,  but  they  have  instructions  in  Korean  and  Chinese. 
In  this  way  they  are  being  fitted  to  go  from  the  school 
right  into  the  cabinet  of  the  king ; for  not  only  would 
their  English  acquirements  secure  them  high  recognition 
in  official  circles,  but  this,  supplemented  by  proficiency 
in  the  Chinese  classics,  ensures  prominence  in  public 
station.  We  shall  have  something  more  to  say,  in  a 
later  chapter,  on  the  influence  of  this  orphanage  in 
the  development  of  the  kingdom. — So  much  for  edu- 
cational steps. 

In  the  direction  of  the  development  of  the  military 
power  much  has  been  attempted.  The  native  fire-arms 
of  Korea  are  of  course  very  ineffective  as  compared 
with  modern  Western  weapons.  Accordingly  several  bat- 
talions have  been  armed  with  modern  breech-loaders, 
and,  I believe,  some  with  magazine  rifles.  Not  the 
least  curious  of  the  sights  to  be  seen  on  the  king’s 
parades  is  the  appearance  of  companies  marching  side 
by  side,  one  carrying  the  old  flint-locks,  or  match-locks 
fired  with  punk,  and  the  other  armed  with  breech- 
loaders and  sabre  bayonets.  In  line  with  this  new 
equipment  was  the  purchase  of  several  gatling-guns, 
and  practice  with  these  is  frequent,  especially  as  the 
noise  is  pleasing  to  His  Majesty.  Equipment  for  a 
powder-manufactory  has  also  been  purchased  and  put 
in  place.  The  uniform  of  most  of  the  soldiers  has  been 
changed  from  its  picturesque  though  somewhat  incon- 
venient form,  and  is  supposed  now  to  be  modeled  after 


236 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


the  Western  military  style;  but  as  the  material  is  dyed 
cotton,  and  the  dye  fades  with  all  degrees  of  irregularity, 
and  since  the  cut  of  the  clothing  is  decidedly  sui  generis^ 
the  aspect  of  the  companies  on  march  is  peculiar  rather 
than  picturesque.  The  government  has  made  provision 
for  the  instruction  of  the  soldiers  by  engaging  military 
instructors  from  the  United  States.  In  1886  four  of 
these  were  secured,  one  of  whom  was  an  American  who 
had  seen  service  in  Japan,  the  other  three  being  officers 
of  the  militia  in  different  parts  of  the  United  States, 
two  of  them  men  who  had  fought  in  the  Civil  War. 
The  youngest  two  of  these  men  came  out  full  of  pluck 
and  energy,  and  amused  those  who  had  had  more  ex- 
perience with  Oriental  life,  and  especially  with  Korean 
inertia,  with  accounts  of  the  reforms  they  were  going  to 
institute  and  the  transformations  they  would  effect  in  the 
appearance  and  effectiveness  of  the  army.  But  months 
wore  on,  and  even  a start  was  hardly  made.  They 
found  that  the  reluctance  to  give  foreigners  control 
hampered  and  opposed  them.  The  cadet  corps  could 
not  be  turned  out  at  reveille.  The  soldiers  had  hardly 
any  idea  of  military  discipline.  Precision  and  punc- 
tuality were  alike  lacking.  Soldiers  served  for  their 
rice,  and  they  had  no  esprit  de  corps.  While  the  in- 
structors were  treated  with  all  courtesy  and  considera- 
tion, effective  use  of  their  acquirements  was  not  made 
because  of  the  sloth,  indifference  and  distrust  of  the 
officials.  Added  to  this  was  the  impecuniosity  of  the 


PROGEESS  TOWARD  CIVILIZATION. 


237 


government.  The  salaries  of  the  four  military  in- 
structors amounted  to  1150  yen  ($920  in  gold)  per 
month.  The  income  of  the  government  is  a very 
uncertain  factor.  There  was  a lack  of  business-like 
management  on  the  part  of  officials,  and  it  soon  became 
apparent  that  no  provision  had  been  made  for  paying 
the  salaries  of  the  American  officers.  This  caused  in- 
convenience to  the  instructors,  and,  naturally,  some 
impatience  was  manifested  on  their  part.  One  of 
them  wrote  articles  for  some  home  papers,  and  then 
for  some  of  the  Anglo-Chinese  periodicals,  and  as 
his  remarks  were  not  complimentary  his  dismissal 
was  ordered  by  the  government.  At  the  same  time 
charges  of  another  character  were  made  against  another 
of  the  officers,  and  he  also  was  dismissed.  These  two, 
being  under  contracts  which  had  been  negotiated  by 
the  American  minister,  refused  to  consider  themselves 
dismissed  unless  salary  was  paid  them  for  the  time 
for  which  they  had  contracted.  Consequently  their 
claims  were  entered  through  the  legation,  but  it  was 
only  after  a considerable  time  had  elapsed,  and  after 
many  negotiations  between  the  legation  and  the  Korean 
government,  that  settlement  was  made.  There  are  two 
officers  on  duty  trying  to  effect  changes  in  the  discipline 
and  effectiveness  of  the  army,  but  their  efforts  do  not  meet 
with  the  success  which  like  efforts  on  a more  energetic 
people  would  probably  produce.  It  will  be  seen,  then, 
that  there  is  an  attempt  to  model  the  army  after  a 


238 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


European  or  American  pattern.  Native  dress  has 
been  discarded,  native  weapons  thrown  aside  and  prep- 
aration made  to  produce  the  power  needed  to  carry  on 
war.  But  the  position  of  Korea  is  like  Switzerland  in 
this  respect.  The  very  largest  army  she  can  raise  could 
not  carry  on  a successful  war.  Were  she  to  arm  all  her 
available  fighting  force,  to  call  upon  every  male  capable 
of  bearing  arms,  she  could  not  oppose  with  any  success 
the  forces  of  either  Japan  or  China.  Her  men  are  un- 
drilled, her  resources  are  undeveloped,  she  has  no 
weapons,  and  there  is  no  military  obstacle  in  the  way 
of  a regiment  of  experienced  soldiers  marching  the 
length  of  the  land,  carrying  everything  before  them. 
Her  soldiers  are  available  for  guard  duty  about  the 
palace  and  as  policemen  within  the  capital.  Her  hopes 
of  peace  rest  not  in  her  ability  to  command  it  by  an 
army,  but  in  the  interests  of  the  neighboring  nations  to 
maintain  her  independence  and  neutrality  for  their  own 
sake.  Any  money  spent  on  her  army  which  looks 
beyond  this  is  wasted,  and  shows  a lack  of  apprecia- 
tion of  her  needs.  No  movement  has  been  made  for 
fortifying  the  keys  of  the  capital  or  for  replacing 
the  native  cannon  with  modern  guns.  The  govern- 
ment is  as  yet  too  poor.  It  is  trying  even  now  to 
borrow  money ; but  its  shortsightedness  is  manifest 
even  in  this,  that  the  privilege  asked  for  as  security 
for  the  money — namely,  the  working  of  the  coal- 
mines— it  is  unwilling  to  turn  over  to  foreigners,  the 


PROGRESS  TOWARD  CIVILIZATION. 


239 


only  means  as  yet  of  making  tliem  productive  and  of 
beginning  the  development  of  resources. 

In  a third  way  Korea  has  started  on  Western  paths. 
In  her  treaties  the  right  to  admit  and  to  send  diplomatic 
officers  is  given.  Korea  has  made  use  of  this  right. 
The  ranking  diplomatic  agent  at  the  court  of  Seoul 
is  the  minister  of  the  United  States.  Japan  puts  her 
interests  in  the  country  into  the  hands  of  a charge 
d’affaires.  France  has  sent  a commissionaire.”  Russia 
has  at  the  capital  a chargd  d’affaires.  Germany  is  rep- 
resented by  a consul-general,  and  England  sends  only  a 
consul  or  vice-consul.  Korea  has  representatives  in  only 
two  countries,  the  United  States  and  Japan.  Another 
embassy  was  started  to  Europe,  but  by  intrigue  on  the 
part  of  the  Chinese  it  was  prevented  from  leaving  the 
Chinese  port  whence  they  were  to  sail.  Of  this  more 
will  be  said  in  the  chapter  on  the  relations  of  Korea 
with  China  and  Japan.  In  the  United  States  the  em- 
bassy has  been  received  with  great  favor.  The  sim- 
plicity, earnestness,  good  nature  and  wonder  at  our 
civilization  displayed  by  the  Korean  representatives, 
together  with  the  modest  and  winning  ways  of  Mrs. 
Yi,  the  lady  in  charge  of  the  legation,  have  endeared 
the  Koreans  to  our  people,  and  won  much  good-will 
among  Americans  for  the  ex-hermit  nation.  The  harass- 
ments  of  the  king  in  relation  to  this  have  been  particu- 
larly grievous.  They  can  only  be  hinted  at  here.  It 
was  upon  the  advice  of  the  Chinese  viceroy  that  Korea 


240 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


made  the  first  treaty  with  a AYestern  nation.  Of  course 
the  power  to  make  a treaty  supposes  autonomy.  China 
sought  to  have  incorporated  in  that  treaty  with  the 
United  States  a clause  acknowledging  the  suzerainty 
of  China.  Certainly  no  treaty  could  be  made  under 
such  conditions,  since  treaties  can  exist  only  between 
sovereign  powers.  This  point  was  therefore  abandoned 
by  the  Chinese,  who  by  that  very  act,  abetting  (as  they 
did)  the  act  of  making  a treaty,  acknowledged  the  inde- 
pendence of  Korea.  But  after  the  treaty  was  signed  and 
Korea  made  ready  to  send  embassies  and  representatives, 
the  government  of  China  began  to  protest,  claimed  a 
veto  power  over  the  appointment,  and  the  Chinese 
resident^’  at  Seoul  went  so  far  as  to  seize  a minister 
who  was  sent  on  a mission.  But  the  mission  was  sent, 
and,  as  stated  above,  Korea  now  has  representatives 
abroad  who  are  winning  golden  opinions  for  the  little 
kingdom.  Korea  has  also  in  various  countries  mer- 
chants who  act  as  her  consuls,  though  as  yet  there  is  no 
business  demanding  their  attention. 

Other  advances  and  attempts  have  been  made,  the 
fruits  of  which  have  not  as  yet  been  realized.  In  1884, 
under  the  administration  of  a radical  government,  prepa- 
rations had  been  made  to  enter  the  postal  union.  The 
stamps  had  been  printed  and  all  arrangements  com- 
pleted for  the  performance  of  this  important  function 
of  the  government.  A banquet  was  held  at  the  foreign 
office  to  rejoice  over  and  celebrate  the  consummation  of 


imOGRESS  TOWARD  CIVILIZATION. 


241 


this  work.  While  the  banquet  was  in  progress  Min 
Yong  Ik,  the  confidential  agent  of  the  king,  staggered 
into  the  banqueting-hall,  covered  with  blood  flowing 
from  numerous  wounds.  An  attempt  had  been  made  by 
the  radicals  to  assassinate  him  because  he  was  supposed 
to  have  drawn  back  from  the  policy  of  advance.  An 
emeute  followed.  The  radicals  fled  because  of  the  re- 
vulsion of  feeling  caused  by  their  bloody  action.  The 
feeling  of  hatred  to  the  foreigners  was  fanned  by  the  con- 
servative or  Chinese  party.  For  a few  days  there  was 
danger  of  an  uprising  which  would  sweep  away  every 
foreigner  in  the  country.  The  strangers  at  the  capital 
patrolled  their  compounds  with  loaded  rifles  day  and 
night.  Several  of  the  conspirators  were  caught  and 
executed,  but  the  ringleaders  escaped  to  Japan.  Grad- 
ually the  excitement  died  out;  people  saw  that  the 
trouble  was  not  due  to  the  foreigners,  but  to  hasty 
and  ill-balanced  officials  who  could  not  make  progress 
slowly,  and  the  resentment  against  outsiders  little  by 
little  faded  away.  But  the  post-office  was  defunct. 
The  Korean  postage  stamps  are  sought  by  collectors 
because  they  are  a curiosity,  having  never  been  used. 
Though  mails  are  distributed  in  Korea,  it  is  by  the 
Japanese  government,  which  maintains  offices,  collects 
all  the  revenue  and  does  all  the  work  arising  from  this 
source. 

Another  direction  in  which  it  was  hoped  progress 

would  be  made  and  in  which  steps  have  been  taken 
16 


242 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


is  in  the  establishment  of  a national  mint.  The  coin 
of  Korea  is  the  cash  (strictly,  a “ five-cash  piece),  a 
piece  varying  in  value  from  one-fifth  to  one- fourth  of  a 
cent.  This  is  a rough  coin  made  of  brass  or  copper 
with  a square  hole  in  the  centre.  It  is  made  in  a 
clumsy  manner  at  native  mints,  and  is  rude  and  rough 
in  its  make-up,  besides  being  variable  in  quality  and 
weight.  These  are  strung  on  strings  of  straw,  two 
hundred  on  a string.  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  unit 
of  value  is  very  small.  The  value  of  the  cash  fluctu- 
ates with  its  abundance.  At  times  four  hundred  and 
twenty  of  these  pieces  may  be  bought  for  a Japanese 
yen  (value  seventy-five  to  ninety  cents,  American  gold), 
while  at  times  not  over  two  hundred  and  seventy  can  be 
obtained  for  the  same.  The  unit  of  calculation  is  not 
one  of  these  pieces,  but  one-fifth  of  one,  for  besides 
these  larger  cash  there  is  a smaller  coin,  not  current  at 
the  capital,  whose  value  is  much  less  than  the  other 
kind.  Thus  it  is  seen  there  is  no  coin  which  is  current 
throughout  the  kingdom.  For  larger  transactions  the 
Mexican  dollar  used  to  be  current,  but  the  Chinese  had 
so  tampered  with  it  that  a professional  shroff  or  ex- 
pert was  needed  to  detect  the  light  and  spurious  coins, 
and  so  the  Japanese  yen  displaced  it.  These  and  other 
considerations,  especially  the  clumsiness  of  the  native 
coin,  led  to  the  suggestion  of  the  establishment  of  a 
mint.  Experts  from  the  royal  mints  of  Germany 
were  sent  for,  a spacious  site  was  allotted  and  build- 


PBOGBESS  TOWABD  CIVILIZATION. 


243 


ings  were  erected  for  the  coinage  of  a new  national 
currency.  The  best  machinery  was  bought  and  placed 
in  position,  designs  were  made  and  dies  cut,  and  in  1888 
the  mint  was  completed,  the  wheels  revolved  a few  times, 
a couple  of  hundred  copper  coins  were  turned  out  for  the 
inspection  of  the  king,  who  paid  a visit  to  the  new  toy, 
and  then  the  wheels  were  stopped.  Since  then  the  ma- 
chinery has  stood  idle  and  rusting,  the  German  expert  has 
returned  to  his  home,  and  the  work  of  nearly  two  years, 
at  an  expense  of  perhaps  two  hundred  thousand  dollars, 
remains  as  so  much  outlay  without  any  corresponding 
return.  And  yet  there  is  said  to  be  exported  yearly 
from  Korea  one  million  dollars’  worth  of  gold-dust ! 
There  is  a strong  possibility  that  visitors  and  guardians 
have  carried  off  many  a brass  nut  or  shining  bar  to  sell 
at  junk-shops  for  a few  cash,  and  to  replace  these  pieces 
may  cost  hundreds  of  dollars  if  ever  the  mint  is  put  in 
operation.  It  may  be  stated  here  that  when  the  teachers 
first  drew  their  salaries  from  the  government  they  were 
paid  in  cash,  and  though  the  amount  was  only  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  dollars  per  month,  it  took  five  men  to 
carry  the  salary  of  one  man  for  one  month.  Our  cash- 
boxes  were  shaped  very  much  like  the  bins  used  for 
keeping  grain  in  stables,  and  would  hold  from  two 
hundred  and  fifty  to  six  hundred  dollar’s  worth  of 
cash.  If  a person  went  shopping  down  town,  it  be- 
came necessary  to  take  a man  to  carry  the  money,  as  a 
dollar’s  worth  of  it  weighed  about  eight  pounds  avoirdu- 


244 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


pois.  The  clumsiness  of  this  medium  can  thus  be  seen, 
and  yet  it  is  the  basis  of  all  trade. 

Another  endeavor  was  to  raise  the  standard  of  agri- 
culture. A farm  was  set  aside  for  model  cultivation. 
Foreign  seeds  were  bought,  a master  farmer  was  hired 
and  the  farm  was  stocked  with  animals  for  breeding 
purposes.  This  was  for  a time  a success,  but  misman- 
agement soon  came  in,  farming  implements  were  left 
uncared  for,  the  careless  habits  of  the  Koreans  became 
too  much  for  the  overseer,  and  his  death,  w’hich  occurred 
rather  suddenly,  left  the  farm  without  a master  to  see 
that  ends  were  kept  up.  The  government  in  this,  as  in 
most  of  its  undertakings,  was  hampered  by  its  poverty, 
and  the  improvements  needed  to  make  effective  the  labor 
invested  never  came.  Perhaps  the  best  result  to  be 
looked  for  is  the  improvement  in  the  breed  of  horses. 
As  before  stated,  Korean  horses  are  mere  ponies.  They 
are  not  used  as  draught  animals.  Oxen  are  employed 
to  pull  the  only  wheeled  vehicles  used — huge,  cumbrous, 
two-wheeled  affairs,  the  friction  of  which  is  poorly  man- 
aged. Ponies  are  used  to  carry  burdens,  and  they  make 
journeys  of  thirty  miles  a day  with  a load  of  about  two 
hundred  pounds.  They  are  employed  also  as  saddle- 
horses,  and  are  serviceable  little  beasts.  But  it  is  hoped 
that  the  breed  can  be  improved,  and  one  of  the  princi- 
pal aims  of  the  farm  was  to  accomplish  this  end.  One 
point  gained  through  this  model  farm  was  the  wider 
cultivation  of  wheat.  Except  in  the  north,  this  grain 


PROGRESS  TOWARD  CIVILIZATION. 


245 


was  Dot  raised,  but  now  it  may  be  seen  growing,  though 
still  only  in  small  patches,  in  many  fields  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  capital.  The  manager  of  the  farm  did 
some  good  by  offering  seeds  to  the  Koreans  who  would 
use  them.  Some  few  have  accepted  and  sown  these  for- 
eign articles,  but  only  very  rarely  as  yet  is  there  any 
view  of  American  plants  growing  in  native  gardens. 
Koreans  in  this  respect  seem  less  receptive  and  adaptive 
than  the  Japanese,  who  welcome  any  addition  to  their 
list  of  edibles.  The  table  of  the  king  is  often  supplied 
from  the  farm,  and  the  members  of  the  royal  family  are 
familiar  with  the  taste  of  many  vegetables  commonly 
seen  only  on  foreigners’  tables. 

One  of  the  interesting  sights  of  the  capital  was  the 
hospital.  It  seemed  a wonderful  thing  in  1886  to  find, 
in  the  capital  of  a kingdom  which,  less  than  four  years 
before,  had  been  sealed  to  the  world,  a hospital  the  run- 
- ning  expenses  of  which  were  in  large  part  paid  by  the 
king.  After  Dr.  Allen  had  in  such  a providential  way 
gained  the  confidence  of  the  court,  he  found  an  oppor- 
tunity to  tell  of  the  means  employed  to  reach  and  benefit 
by  the  healing  art  many  of  the  poverty-stricken  in  our 
own  country.  This  caught  the  attention  of  the  king, 
and  soon  grounds  were  set  aside,  buildings  prepared 
and  a hospital  was  in  full  operation.  Not  only  was 
this  the  case,  but  soon  afterward  the  hospital  in  con- 
nection with  the  Methodist  mission  received  the  sanction 
of  the  king,  and  a name  in  Chinese  was  fixed  over  the 


246 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


gate  as  a sign  tx)  Koreans  that  the  work  done  within 
had  the  sanction  of  the  governnlent. 

Owing  to  the  death  of  Dr.  Heron,  one  of  the  medical 
missionaries  of  the  Presbyterian  Board,  the  work  of  the 
hospital  was  necessarily  dropped.  We  understand,  how- 
ever, that  a physician  is  going  out  from  New  York, 
under  contract  with  the  government,  to  carry  on  the 
work.  It  speaks  volumes  for  the  kindly  feeling  of  the 
king  that  such  work  should  be  provided  for  out  of  the 
national  funds,  or  what  is  practically  the  same — for 
there  is  nothing  like  a national  treasurj^  in  Korea, 
the  national  money  really  belonging  to  the  king  as 
being  the  government. 

We  have  had  occasion  to  speak  of  the  custom  of  sig- 
naling daily  along  the  tops  of  the  hills  the  news  of  the 
peace  and  welfare  of  the  kingdom.  Alongside  of  this 
mediaeval  system  of  despatching  news  must  be  placed  the 
modern  way  of  using  the  electric  current,  since  for  years 
the  capital  has  been  connected  by  wire  with  the  southern 
port  of  Fusan,  with  its  own  port  of  Chemulpo  and  with 
the  capital  of  China,  and  so  with  the  whole  outside 
world.  Korea,  the  hermit  nation  of  1882,  in  teleg- 
raphic communication  with  the  isles  of  the  West  in 
1885! 

In  the  domestic  life  of  the  nation  but  little  change 
has  been  caused  by  the  opening  of  treaty  relations  with 
other  nations.  But  few  Koreans  have  changed  their 
manner  of  living.  The  general  poverty  of  the  people 


PROGRESS  TOWARD  CIVILIZATION. 


247 


would  preclude  indulgence  in  luxuries,  such  as  most 
articles  of  foreign  make  would  be  considered.  In  the 
palace,  in  the  way  of  furniture,  much  has  been  brought 
in  from  Europe  and  the  United  States.  The  king^s 
apartments  are  furnished  in  foreign  and  luxurious  style. 
Besides  this,  table  furniture  and  kitchen  equipments  of 
foreign  styles  are  provided  for  the  palace  use,  for  often 
guests  are  entertained  by  order  of  the  king.  At  such 
times  His  Majesty  is  not  visibly  present,  but  is  repre- 
sented by  a mandarin.  A latticed  screen  covered  with 
paper  shuts  off  a part  of  the  banqueting-hall,  and  behind 
that  screen  the  royal  family  often  assemble,  and  after 
punching  holes  in  the  paper  a view  of  the  banqueting 
guests  is  had  by  the  members  of  the  family.  A few  of 
the  wealthier  men  in  the  capital  were  very  much  capti- 
vated by  some  spring  mattresses  seen  in  foreigners’ 
houses,  and  they  have  obtained  others  for  their  own 
use.  In  the  capital  there  are  shops,  kept  by  Chinese  and 
Japanese,  where  various  commodities  of  foreign  manu- 
facture are  exposed  for  sale.  As  elsewhere  mentioned, 
one  of  the  chief  attractions  in  these  stores  is  the  cuckoo 
clock,  and  many  of  these  have  found  their  way  into  the 
homes  of  the  people.  The  most  extensively  used  of 
foreign  commodities  is  the  cotton  goods  in  the  way 
of  sheeting  muslins,  out  of  which  clothing  for  every- 
day wear  is  made.  Of  this  thousands  of  bales  are  im- 
ported yearly.  The  revenue  from  imports  is  increasing 
largely  each  year,  proving  that  Western  products  are 


248 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


taking  their  place  in  the  domestic  economy  of  the 
people,  and  with  each  importation  and  its  use  among 
the  people  a wider  interest  in  the  nation  from  which 
the  article  came  is  excited,  and  so  progress  is  made. 

It  is  yet  too  early  to  prophesy  as  to  the  national  prog- 
ress these  varied  agencies  will  bring  about.  Much, 
very  much,  will  depend  on  the  character  of  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  various  nations  who  may  drift  or  be 
sent  to  Korea.  As  yet,  it  is  fortunate  that  most  for- 
eigners have  been  of  a very  respectable  class.  The 
character  of  the  diplomatic  and  consular  corps  has 
been,  in  general,  above  reproach.  The  missionaries  are 
men  who,  with  a commendable  zeal  for  the  spread  of 
the  tidings  they  bear,  have  a knowledge  of  the  prejudices 
of  the  Koreans,  and  judgment  sufficiently  balanced  to 
prevent  the  use  of  means  which  shock  and  alarm  the 
conservatism  of  Confucianists  and  arouse  the  religious 
jealousy  of  the  officials.  The  poverty  of  the  country 
offers  few  inducements  for  grasping  tradesmen  to  settle 
there,  consequently  but  two  firms  have  dealings  of  any 
importance  with  the  people.  The  populace  at  large  is 
being  led  on  gradually  to  the  realization  of  an  influx 
of  foreign  ideas.  The  money  spent  by  missionaries 
and  government  officers  in  the  country  brings  benefits 
to  many  poor  householders.  Were  the  country  left 
to  follow  its  desires,  and  not  harassed  by  the  inter- 
ference and  domination  of  China,  a gradual  approach 
to  Western  ways  might  be  anticipated.  As  it  is,  the 


PROGRESS  TOWARD  CIVILIZATION. 


249 


chances  are  so  balanced  and  the  disturbing  causes  so 
many  that  a chapter  is  needed  to  discuss  them  and  to 
give  data  for  the  determination  of  the  probable  result 
of  the  present  efforts  toward  Occidental  enlightenment. 

A matter  not  to  be  passed  ove^Jightly  is  the  abolition 
(February  6,  1886)  of  the  here 
slavery — a grand  move  for  a 
make  of  its  own  volition ! 


transmission  of 
” nation  to 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

FOREIGN  RELATIONS. 

A QUESTION  which  is  not  only  interesting  in 
itself,  but  also  important  in  its  bearings  upon 
the  economic  and  religious  development  of  the  penin- 
sula, is  the  independence  or  autonomy  of  Korea.  Is 
Korea  an  independent  State,  or  a vassal  State  subject 
to  China?  The  decision  is  not  easily  reached.  On  one 
side,  in  favor  of  the  independence  of  the  kingdom  is  the 
act  of  acknowledgment  of  her  independence  by  Japan, 
the  United  States,  Russia,  France  and  Italy  in  making 
treaties  with  her.  Treaties  are  negotiated  only  between 
independent  States.  It  must  also  be  borne  in  mind  that 
the  treaties  were  entered  into  by  the  advice  of  Cliina. 
Against  the  autonomy  of  Korea  may  be  cited  the 
strenuous  insistence  on  the  part  of  the  Chinese,  since 
the  treaties  were  made,  upon  the  claim  of  suzerainty 
over  Korea ; the  interference,  or  attempted  interference, 
of  the  Chinese  in  the  management  *of  the  finances  and 
the  development  of  the  resources  of  the  kingdom ; the 
course  of  action  of  the  Chinese  resident  minister”  at 
the  Korean  capital,  which  is  consistent  only  with  his 
claim  that  he  is  the  representative  of  the  over-lord  of 
250 


FOREIGN  RELATIONS. 


251 


the  king  of  Korea ; and  also  certain  acts  of  the  king  of 
Korea  and  his  government  toward  China,  which,  when 
interpreted  after  Western  fashion,  seem  to  lend  force  to 
the  assertion  that  not  even  the  king  himself  believes  in 
his  independence  of  the  emperor. 

Historically,  both  China  and  Japan  have  claimed 
Korea  as  a portion  of  their  respective  empires,  and 
have  founded  their  claims  upon  acknowledged  and 
indisputable  conquest.  The  latter  power,  however, 
gave  up  all  claim  to  ownership  when,  in  1876,  she 
negotiated  a treaty  with  the  hermit  nation.  In  the 
preceding  year  China  had  practically  conceded  the  in- 
dependence of  Korea  in  disclaiming  any  responsibility 
for  the  acts  which  led  to  the  Japanese  storming  the 
Kang-Wha  fort.  To  this  last  declaration  should  be 
added  the  statement  (cited  by  Mr.  Rockhill  in  his  able 
article  printed  in  the  Journal  of  the  American  Oriental 
Society  for  1888)  of  an  emperor  of  China  about  the 
middle  of  the  seventeenth  century : Kao-li  (Korea) 

is  a small  region  in  the  East,  and  is  not  under  the  rule 
of  the  middle  kingdom’’ 

This  question  has  been  ably  discussed  by  two  gentlemen 
— by  Mr.  Rockhill,  quoted  above,  and  by  Judge  Denny, 
late  foreign  adviser* to  the  king,  in  his  pamphlet  China 
and  Korea,  privately  printed  in  1888.  The  former 
draws  his  arguments  from  historical  documents  of  the 
Chinese,  and  his  statements  lead  almost  irresistibly 
to  the  conclusion  that  up  to  the  last  few  years  China 


252 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


regarded  Korea  as  independeut.  Judge  Denny  concedes 
the  tribukiry  relation  of  Korea  to  China,  but  shows 
that  the  condition  of  a tributary  State  does  not  neces- 
sarily in  any  case  imply  vassalage,  and  that  it  certainly 
does  not  carry  that  conclusion  in  the  case  under  consid- 
eration. 

Looked  at  from  a diplomatic  standpoint,  Korea  is  a 
sovereign  State.  She  has  made  treaties,  while  China, 
knowing  that  international  law  holds  that  to  be  the  act 
of  a sovereign  State,  has  looked  on  and  permitted  (as- 
suming that  she  could  have  stopped  it)  the  assumption 
of  treaty  obligations.  China  has  herself  made  a treaty 
with  Korea,  though  she  has  called  that  treaty  “ Com- 
mercial and  trade  regulations  for  the  subjects  of  China 
and  Korea.”  Yet,  guarded  as  this  title  was  meant  to 
be,  it  in  mentioning  the  two  countries  gives  up  China^s 
contention,  for  if  Korea  is  subject  to  China,  there  are 
no  subjects  of  Korea,  but  only  those  of  China.  The 
question,  therefore,  naturally  arises.  If  the  case,  diplo- 
matically considered,  is  so  clear,  what  need  is  there  to 
discuss  it  again?  The  answer  is,  that  though  Korea 
made  treaties  with  the  full  and  free  consent  and  knowl- 
edge of  the  Chinese  government,  and  although  China 
knew  the  consequences  of  such  acts  with  reference  to 
her  claims  of  suzerainty,  the  Chinese  government  has 
since  the  making  of  the  treaties  reasserted  those  claims, 
and  has  used  its  power  as  a stronger  nation  to  interfere 
in  the  internal  affairs  of  Korea  (as  when  it  prohibited 


FOREIGN  RELATIONS. 


253 


the  opening  of  Ping  Yang  as  a treaty  port  in  1887)  and 
in  the  external  relations  (as  when  it  demanded  that  the 
foreign  representatives  of  Korea  at  other  courts  should 
consult  with  and  be  introduced  the  Chinese  represent- 
atives at  those  courts).  China  has  done  more  than  this : 
she  has  made  interpolated  copies  of  the  treaties  between 
the  United  States  and  Korea,  and  in  these  copies  she  has 
inserted  an  article  stating  that  the  United  States,  in  mak- 
ing the  treaty  with  Korea,  acknowledged  the  suzerainty 
of  China  over  Korea!  Such  a copy  was,  in  1887,  in 
the  possession  of  the  British  vice-consul  at  the  Korean 
capital,  and  was  produced  by  him  as  proof  that  the 
United  States  did  not  regard  Cho  Son  as  a sovereign 
power.  The  existence  and  the  persistent  reiteration  of 
such  pretensions  make  it  necessary  to  review  very  briefly 
the  arguments  for  and  against  the  sovereignty  of  China 
over  the  hermit  kingdom. 

The  arguments  in  favor  of  this  sovereignty  are  as 
follows : 

(1)  The  subjection  of  the  peninsula  by  arms.  The 
history  of  the  hermit  kingdom,  as  found  in  both  Korea 
and  China,  bears  out  this  contention.  While  not  infre- 
quently the  Koreans  repelled,  with  terrible  loss  to  the 
invaders,  the  hosts  of  China,  and  drove  them  out  of  the 
peninsula,  at  other  times  submission  had  to  be  made  to 
superior  force  and  abilities. 

(2)  Following  upon  this  were  the  demands  made 
upon  the  rulers  of  Cho  Son  for  aid  against  the  rebels 


254 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


attempting  to  overthrow  the  Chinese  power,  and  pun- 
ishment for  aid  given  to  those  rebels. 

(3)  The  undisputed  and  indisputable  fact  that  tribute 
has  been  and  still  is  regularly  sent  to  the  Chinese  em- 
peror by  the  king. 

(4)  The  tenor  of  a letter  sent  to  the  emperor  by  the 
king,  apparently  asking  permission  to  send  representa- 
tives to  foreign  courts. 

(5)  The  way  in  which  the  king  receives  the  envoy 
sent  in  acknowledgment  of  tribute  or  on  special  occa- 
sions. His  Majesty  usually  goes  outside  the  walls  of  the 
capital  and  meets  the  envoy,  instead  of  awaiting  his  ap- 
pearance in  the  palace  grounds  and  in  the  audience- 
chamber.  A more  compromising  fact  than  this  was  a 
visit  paid  by  the  king  to  the  temporary  residence  of 
the  envoy  in  the  capital  in  1890,  something  which  it 
is  impossible  to  reconcile  with  even  Korean  ideas  of 
urbanity.  This  act,  more  than  any  other  since  the 
treaties  were  made,  staggered  the  asserters  of  Korean 
autonomy. 

(6)  Very  significant,  not  to  say  perplexing,  is  the 
bearing  of  Chinese  officials  and  their  suites  in  the 
country,  both  to  Koreans  and  toward  foreigners.  For 
instance,  the  present  Chinese  ^‘minister  resident  for 
political  and  commercial  affairs  (so  does  China  desig- 
nate her  representative  at  the  Korean  capital)  has  dared 
nominally  to  memorialize,  really  to  lecture,  the  king 
upon  the  method  of  conducting  the  development  of 


FOREIGN  RELATIONS. 


255 


the  resources  of  the  country.  This  same  representa- 
tive has  more  than  once  forced  his  way  into  the  pres- 
ence of  the  king  and  reproached  him  for  his  method 
of  conducting  business.  Eventually  the  king  gave 
orders  that  Yuan  was  not  to  be  admitted  under  any 
pretext  to  an  audience.  The  general  attitude  of 
Koreans  toward  Chinese,  and  the  feeling  of  the  lat- 
ter that  they  are  above  law,  is  shown  by  the  following 
experience  of  Mr.  Foulk,  a naval  attache  of  the  United 
States  legation  at  Seoul  (in  Foreign  Relations  of  the  United 
States,  1885,  pp.  324,  325) : ^^In  one  of  the  buildings  of 
the  yongmun  was  residing  a Chinese  official  with  a small 
retinue  of  servants.  The  replies  of  Coreans  to  my  ques- 
tions in  regard  to  the  presence  of  this  officer  were  evasive, 
though  I learned  that,  in  spite  of  the  high  rank  of  the 
Corean  governor,  he  was  bound  to  call  daily  upon  the 
Chinese  officer.  While  the  strictest  orders  were  given 
— and  well  executed,  too — that  the  people  were  not  to 
invade  my  quarters  out  of  curiosity,  some  of  the  Chinese 
did  so  insolently,  a few  soft  words  being  the  only  remon- 
strance from  the  governor’s  policemen,  to  which  little  or 
no  attention  was  paid.  This  incident  only  tends  to  con- 
firm the  impression  I had  formed  in  Seoul  of  the  cower- 
ing disposition  of  the  Corean  government  to  the  attitude 
of  China  toward  Corea,  the  only  solution  of  which  may 
be  found  in  a written  agreement  between  the  two  coun- 
tries, made  two  years  ago,  after  the  entrance  of  a Chinese 
commissioner  and  three  thousand  Chinese  soldiers.  This 


256 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


agreement  seems  to  be  wholly  unknown  to  the  Western 
powers.” 

Concerning  this  agreement  Mr.  Foulk  further  says 
(p.  337) : It  has  been  positively  stated  to  me,  though 

not  until  they  seemed  forced  to  divulge  it,  by  So 
Kwang  Pom  and  Kim  Ok  Kiun,  that  the  result  of 
this  use  of  Chinese  troops  [in  Dec.,  1884]  was  the  ex- 
actment  of  a new  agreement  l^etween  China  and  Corea, 
by  which  the  Chinese  obtained  such  rights  in  Corea  as 
made  her  more  intimately  a dependency  of  China  than 

had  ever  been  the  case  before The  king  and  the 

progressive  Coreans  looked  upon  the  American  treaty  as 
the  wedge  which,  at  least  politically,  freed  Corea  from 
China,  and  it  was  hailed  by  them  with  great  joy.  It 
may  then  be  understood  how  great  was  their  chagrin  to 
find  Corea,  by  the  action  of  Cho  and  the  Mins  before 
the  American  treaty  was  yet  ratified,  placed  anew  or 
more  rigidly  than  ever  subservient  to  China.”  Mr. 
Foulk  goes  on  to  say  that  this  anxiety  was  relieved 
Avhen  Minister  Foote  arrived,  since  the  treaty  was  rati- 
fied ; that  this  meant  to  the  Koreans  either  that  the 
United  States  meant  to  force  the  recognition  of  Korean 
independence,  understanding  the  position  of  Korea  to 
China ; or  else  that  that  position  was  unknown,  and  so 
the  American  treaty  wonld  give  a leverage  whence  to 
work  for  the  completion  of  the  attempts  at  securing 
entire  autonomy. 

The  above  seem  to  me  to  embrace  all  the  arguments 


FOREIGN  RELATIONS. 


257 


to  be  brought  to  support  the  assertion  of  China’s  sov- 
ereignty over  Korea.  Against  these  are  to  be  adduced 
the  following ; 

(1)  Prior  to  1882,  not  even  Chinese  were  allowed  to 
reside  in  the  country  or  to  land  on  its  shores. 

(2)  On  the  occasions  when  envoys  visited  the  court 
of  Korea  from  China,  the  suite  of  the  envov  was  limited 
to  a very  few  persons.  All  others  were  left  behind  at 
the  Korean  border. 

(3)  In  order  to  guard  against  the  surreptitious  em- 
brace of  Chinese,  a neutral  strip  was  maintained  be- 
tween the  two  countries.  Although  this  was  done  at 
first  by  the  desire  of  China,  when,  in  later  years,  the 
Chinese  wished  to  lead  in  the  settlement  of  this  strip, 
Korea  always  objected,  and  the  objections  were  acknowl- 
edged by  China. 

(4)  In  many  cases,  to  the  demands  of  the  emperor  for 
aid  against  the  rebels  or  assailants  of  China,  not  only 
was  no  help  given,  but  no  reply  was  vouchsafed  and 
no  notice  was  taken  of  the  demand. 

(5)  Statements  of  Chinese  emperors,  such  as  that  cited 
by  Mr.  Rockhill  in  his  quotation  above ; also  disclaimei’s 
on  the  part  of  the  Chinese  government  of  any  responsi- 
bility for  overt  action  by  Koreans,  on  the  ground  of 
lack  of  jurisdiction  or  sovereignty.  Such  an  occasion 
was  presented  when  the  Japanese,  in  1875,  prior  to 
making  a treaty  with  Korea,  sent  to  China  to  ascer- 
tain her  position  in  regard  to  the  hermit  kingdom. 

17 


258 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


(6)  Though  Korea  is  undoubtedly  tributary  to  China, 
it  is  argued  strongly  both  by  Mr.  Kockhill  and  Judge 
Denny,  who  support  their  position  by  citations  from 
authorities  on  international  law,  that  tributary  relations 
do  not  affect  the  sovereignty  of  a state.  For  example, 
Mr.  Kockhill  cites  the  action  of  England,  which, 
after  the  conquest  and  annexation  of  Burmah,  made 
arrangements  for  the  continuance  of  the  customary 
tribute  to  China.  Yet  no  one  would  assert  that  Eng- 
land is  tributary  to  China  or  that  Burmah  is  not  a 
British  possession. 

(7)  When  Commodore  Shufeldt  was  attempting  to 
negotiate  a treaty  with  the  Korean  government,  the 
Chinese  viceroy  sought  to  have  incorporated  into  the 
treaty  an  acknowledgment  of  China^s  suzerainty.  Of 
course  the  commodore  replied  that  no  such  thing  was 
possible.  A treaty  could  be  negotiated  only  on  the 
basis  of  Korea’s  independence.  The  contention  was 
dropped  by  the  Chinese,  w ho  thereby  implicitly  aban- 
doned their  claim. 

(8)  The  actual  negotiation  of  treaties  with  the  several 
po Wei’S  creates  a presumption  in  favor  of  Korean  auton- 
omy ; and 

(9)  This  presumption  is  heightened  by  the  fact  that 
under  the  operation  of  those  treaties  Korea  both  receives 
representatives  of  foreign  powers  and  is  herself  repre- 
sented at  the  capitals  of  other  nations. 

(10)  China  seized  the  opportunity  presented  to  make 


FOREIGN  RELATIONS. 


259 


a treaty  with  the  king,  under  which  she  might  trade 
with  the  peninsula,  though  she  attempted  to  evade  the 
consequences  and  nullify  all  inferences  naturally  to  be 
drawn  by  calling  her  treaty  Commercial  and  trade 
regulations  for  the  subjects  of  China  and  Korea, and 
by  giving  to  her  representative  the  title  of  minister 
resident  for  political  and  commercial  affairs.” 

(11)  Under  the  provisions  of  this  treaty,  Chinese 
merchants  flocked  to  Korea  and  took  up  their  residence 
there,  a thing  previously  not  allowed,  and  a concession 
granted  to  China  only  after  the  same  had  been  allowed 
to  other  powers. 

(12)  The  support  of  the  claims  of  independence  by 
the  United  States  and  Russia  in  sending  ministers  and 
receiving  ambassadors  from  the  king  of  Korea. 

(13)  While  Mr.  Rockhill  confesses  that  he  is  not  sure 
how  to  interpret  the  letter  of  the  king  to  the  emperor 
regarding  the  sending  of  representatives,  he  points  out 
that  the  terms  used  are  those  of  an  equal  speaking  to  an 
equal.  One  familiar  with  the  laws  of  etiquette  in  the 
Orient,  where  not  only  the  form  of  words  used  but 
even  the  words  themselves  are  indicative  of  the  relative 
position  of  speaker  and  addressed,  will  see  in  the  fact 
pointed  out  by  Mr.  Rockhill,  and  in  the  further  fact 
that  this  assumption  of  equality  with  the  emperor  by 
the  king  of  Korea  passed  without  comment,  almost 
certain  proof  that  the  latter  regards  himself  as  an 
independent  sovereign.  Mr.  Rockhill  shows,  further. 


260 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


that  the  expressions  employed  on  the  occasions  of  in- 
terchange of  courtesies  between  the  two  countries  are 
those  ^^used  between  neighboring  countries  which  are 
on  a footing  of  equality/^ 

Striking  a balance  between  the  arguments  for  and 
against  the  independence  of  Korea,  the  preponderance 
of  evidence  seems  greatly  against  the  pretensions  of 
China.  In  fact,  as  before  hinted,  the  only  facts  which 
seem  at  this  time  to  point  to  any  other  conclusion  are 
the  overt  acts  of  the  Chinese  “minister  resident”  at 
the  Korean  capital  and  the  cowering  or  timid  attitude 
of  the  people  and  rulers  of  the  country. 

This  attitude  is  due  to  a realization,  born  of  inter- 
course with  other  nations,  of  the  real  weakness  of  Korea 
as  compared  with  the  strength  of  China’s  immense  re- 
sources. “ Great  Cho  Son”  has  assumed  her  real  posi- 
tion in  the  eyes  of  her  rulers.  Uncertainty  as  to  the 
amount  of  support  she  would  receive  from  other  powers 
in  a direct  and  decisive  rejection  of  the  Chinese  assump- 
tions and  an  expression  of  indignation  at  the  interference 
in  the  conduct  of  internal  affairs,  makes  Korea’s  rulers 
seem  weak  and  vacillating.  And  yet  those  who  have 
been  longest  in  the  East,  and  who  know  the  temper  of 
China,  of  Korea,  of  Japan  and  of  Russia,  are  not  slow 
to  express  the  opinion,  first,  that  were  the  king  to  take 
a decided  stand,  China  would  back  down  and  withdraw 
her  claims ; second,  Japan  would  not  permit  any  action 
prejudicial  to  her  own  interests,  such  as  the  occupation 


FOREIGN  RELATIONS. 


261 


of  the  peninsula  would  undoubtedly  be;  and,  third, 
that  Kussia  would  intervene  with  decision  in  the  same 
contingency.  Japan  has  a great  interest  in  the  autono- 
my of  the  peninsula.  With  Korea  a Chinese  province, 
Fusan  affords  a starting-point  for  a Chinese  attack  with- 
in a few  hours’  sail  of  Japan.  Korea  independent  is  a 
buffer  between  the  two  countries.  In  like  fashion,  Korea 
would  become  a starting-point  for  Chinese  naval  forces 
against  the  Russian  port  of  Vladivostock.  Clearly, 
then,  it  is  for  the  interest  of  both  those  countries  to 
maintain  the  independence  of  the  peninsula.  At  the 
same  time,  one  would  imagine  that  China  would  see 
it  for  her  interests  to  use  an  autonomous  Korea  as  a 
fence  against  both  Russia  aud  Japan.  There  seems  to 
be  every  reason,  therefore,  why  the  foreign  adviser 
should  urge  the  government  to  reject  decisively  the 
claims  of  China,  to  demand  from  the  Chinese  govern- 
ment the  withdrawal  from  Korean  territory  of  all 
Chinese  subjects  who  in  any  way  disturb  the  peace 
of  the  country,  aud  to  insist  that  the  interference  of 
the  emperor  in  matters  of  Korean  internal  develop- 
ment and  external  relations  shall  cease  once  and  for 
all. 

The  reasons  for  the  change  in  the  attitude  of  China 
toward  Korea  are  hard  to  define.  Judge  Denny  thinks 
the  policy  of  absorption”  was  decided  in  1885,  two 
years  and  a half  after  the  claims  of  suzerainty  had  been 
given  up.  Undoubtedly  it  was  brought  about  by  the 


262 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


wiles  and  intrigues  of  Yuan,  the  present  “commis- 
sioner” of  the  Chinese  government  in  Seoul.  This 
man  is  a typical  Oriental,  of  no  special  ability,  but 
with  an  abnormal  amount  of  cunning  and  duplicity. 
He  was  formerly  a subordinate,  but  was  elevated  to 
the  commissionership  in  1885.  The  king’s  affability 
and  desire  to  maintain  friendly  relations  with  all  treaty 
powers  have  been  seized  upon  by  Yuan  to  forward  his 
own  schemes.  This  latter,  inflated  by  his  importance, 
and  by  the  fact  that  probably  at  his  suggestion  the 
claims  of  China  have  been  reasserted,  has  taken  upon 
himself  to  advise  the  king  in  disorderly  and  impudent 
“ memorials  ” and  to  force  his  way  into  the  royal  pres- 
ence. It  was  doubtless  this  gentleman  who  suggested, 
if  he  did  not  execute,  the  bogus  treaties  referred  to, 
containing  an  acknowledgment  of  the  vassal  relations 
of  Korea  to  China.  He  stands  convicted  of  having 
smuggled  under  his  official  seal  a large  case  of  ginseng, 
which  in  a Korean  would  have  been  a capital  offence. 
He  has  thus  transgressed  the  laws  of  the  country.  He 
has  shown  his  contempt  and  insolence  by  riding  in  his 
chair  inside  the  palace  grounds,  a thing  never  done  by 
a native  Korean,  and  so  has  trampled  on  the  custom 
which  has  been  honored  and  observed  by  the  repre- 
sentatives of  all  other  powers.  Judge  Denny  also 
charges  him  (the  evidence  is  known  by  the  writer  to 
be  clear  and  convincing)  with  being  the  author  of  a 
plot  to  dethrone  and  abduct  the  king  in  order  to  make 


FOREIGN  RELATIONS. 


263 


a pretext  for  the  interference  of  China.  Full  provis- 
ions were  made  for  carrying  out  this  plot,  with  the 
accomj^animents  of  riot,  arson  and  murder.  The  gov- 
ernment of  China  has  been  informed  of  this,  and  has 
been  asked  to  withdraw  the  mischief-maker,  but  as  yet 
has  disregarded  all  appeals.  The  pity  is  that  the  king 
does  not  make  a peremptory  demand  for  the  withdrawal 
of  Yuan,  and  if  this  is  not  acceded  to,  give  him  his  pass- 
ports and  escort  him  to  the  frontier.  A firm  stand  and 
resolute  demand  would  almost  certainly  produce  the  de- 
sired result.  At  any  rate,  the  status  of  Korea  would 
then  be  certainly  known,  and  the  condition  could  not 
be  worse  than  the  present  uncertain  state  of  affairs. 

The  relations  between  Japan  and  the  peninsula  are, 
officially,  most  excellent.  There  is  at  times  some  fric- 
tion of  feeling  between  the  populace  and  the  Japanese 
merchants,  owing  to  the  disposition  of  the  latter  to 
drive  hard  bargains  and  claim  their  pound  of  flesh, 
but  in  general  there  is  nothing  but  good  wishes  on  the 
part  of  the  Japanese  people,  and  the  most  ardent  hopes 
on  the  part  of  the  Japanese  government  for  the  pros- 
perity of  Korea.  With  Russia  the  relations  are  most 
friendly.  The  Russian  charge  d’affaires,  Mr.  Waeber, 
and  his  most  accomplished  wife  are  favorites  at  the 
capital,  and  the  influence  of  Russia  has  been  exerted 
positively  in  favor  of  Korean  independence. 

There  is  hardly  any  need  to  speak  of  the  friendly 
feelings  existing  between  the  United  States  and  Korea. 


264 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


The  uniform  courtesy  which  the  United  States  repre- 
sentative has  ever  met  and  the  consideration  with 
which  his  communications  have  been  received  have 
made  the  duties  of  the  ministers  a pleasure,  and  not 
a task,  and  they  have  each  retired  from  their  post 
with  earnest  wishes  for  Korea’s  success.  It  is  well 
known  how  favorable  an  impression  the  hermit  king- 
dom’s representatives  have  made  in  Washington.  The 
simplicity  and  good  taste  with  which  they  have  con- 
ducted themselves  have  endeared  to  those  who  have 
met  them  all  the  members  of  the  legation.  By 
Koreans  the  United  States  has  been  looked  on  almost 
as  a parent.  Its  methods  are  thought  the  best,  its  peo- 
ple the  most  kind  and  its  civilization  the  most  adv^anced. 
Americans  receive  in  Korea  especially  kind  treatment 
on  account  of  their  nationality.  All  Americans  in 
Korea  who  have  so  conducted  themselves  as  to  merit 
the  approval  of  the  government  have  no  reason  to 
complain  of  their  experience.  A few  who  do  com- 
plain should  blame  themselves  for  a course  which  has 
alienated  from  them  the  good-will  of  the  government 
and  the  continuance  of  its  kindly  regard.  And  these 
kind  feelings  and  cordial  relations  have  much  • to  do 
with  the  good  prospects  to  be  spoken  of  in  the  chap- 
ter on  missions. 


CHAPTEK  XIV. 

FOREIGN  LIFE  IN  KOREA, 

TT  is  the  common  experience  that  those  who  have 
once  tasted  of  life  in  the  East  are  loath  to  return  to 
Occidental  civilization.  . This  is  true  also  of  those  who 
have  lived  in  Korea.  There  are  several  reasons  for  this. 
Perhaps  foremost  among  these  is  the  fact  that  life  is 
easier  in  the  East.  A visitor  or  tourist  soon  recognizes 
the  absence  of  that  rush  and  jostle  which  is  charac- 
teristic of  business  iu,  say,  New  York  or  Chicago. 
Work  goes  on  with  more  deliberation.  The  feverish 
haste  and  heavy  pressure  which  are  characteristic  of 
our  way  of  doing  business  are  wholly  lacking  in  the 
Orient.  There  the  bulk  of  population  is  of  course 
Chinese,  Japanese,  Korean  or  Hindoo,  and  the  gen- 
eral distaste  for  hurry  and  the  predisposition  to  a dig- 
nified and  leisurely  method  of  procedure  tones  down 
even  Yankee  bustle  into  what  approaches  deliberateness. 
There  is  something  about  the  slowness  of  motion  in 
Eastern  climes  which  is  to  the  Occidental  at  first  ex- 
asperating, afterward  restful.  The  hours  of  labor  are 
shorter.  Less  frequent  means  of  communication  beget 
greater  deliberation  over  correspondence.  The  enervat- 

265 


2G6 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


ing  influences  of  climate  undoubtedly  have  their  effect  in 


trance  into  Oriental  life  soon  wears  down  to  more  meas- 
ured movement.  This  is  doubtless  one  reason  for  the  hold 
which  Eastern  life  takes  upon  Western-born  people. 


touch  in  matters  of  business,  art  or  mechanics  doubt- 
less contributes  to  this  end.  While  Orientals  excel  in 
matters  requiring  patience — for  instance,  in  the  carving 


of  lacquered  ware — the  Occidental  excels  in  the  corn- 


will  produce  a sum  of  wealth  which  seems  to  the  Ori- 
ental like  the  realization  of  a wonderful  dream.  So 
in  Korea  the  college  graduate  seems  to  be  a man  of 
wonderful  attainments.  The  man  of  middle  station  in 
society  at  home  ranks  very  high  in  Korean  society,  and 
to  almost  all  foreigners  the  tribute  of  precedence  over 
natives  is  readily  yielded.  Thus  a sort  of  flattery  to 
which  close  observers,  and  particularly  cynics,  say  hu- 
manity is  especially  subject  is  paid  to  the  foreigner  who 
goes  for  residence  in  the  Korean  j>eniusula.  He  finds  the 


toning  down  vigor  of  action.  Consequently  the  energy 
which  an  American  is  wont  to  display  on  his  first  eu- 


ities,  as  having  been  imS^Vj^te^uidance  and  training 
of  greater  forces  than  the  Japanese  of  an  equal  station 
in  life.  The  very  quickness  and  decisiveness  of  his 


Anotk^l^verful  factor  is  the  position  which  persons 


of  a set  of  ivory  chessmen  or  the  production  of  a piece 


mercial  faculty,  and  for  an  equivalent  period  of  time 


(Ircat  South  Gate.  l’a”[0  2(i(). 


FOREIGN  LIFE  IN  KOREA. 


267 


people  in  the  street  making  way  for  him.  When  any 
spectacle  is  to  be  seen,  the  place  of  honor  is  reserved 
for  his  accommodation.  The  high  place  at  feasts  falls  to 
him.  He  is  treated  with  a consideration  which  is  not 
infrequently  the  cause  of  an  increase  in  the  perimeter 
of  his  cranium.  Woe  to  him,  then,  if  he  has  to  return 
to  Western  life  ! AYheu  he  looks  for  people,  mechanics 
and  day-laborers,  to  turn  out  for  him  on  the  sidewalk, 
a jostle  recalls  to  his  mind  that  in  this  country  all  men 
are  free  and  equal.”  Whereas  on  the  other  side  of 
the  Pacific  his  opinion  was  asked  and  listened  to  with 
respect,  he  finds  himself  here  a very  inconsequential 
sort  of  person,  carrying  only  the  influence  which  his 
mental  calibre  and  his  real  worth  earn  for  him.  Natu- 
rally, then,  he  yearns  for  a return  to  his  life  in  the  East. 
In  this  respect  life  in  Korea  is  very  agreeable  to  the 
foreigner. 

That  country  has  as  yet  been  peculiarly  fortunate  in 
the  class  of  foreigners  who  have  gone  there.  The  ma- 
jority so  far  are  missionaries,  men  who  have  been  singu- 
larly disinterested,  and  have  in  several  instances  gained 
not  only  the  respect  of  the  community,  but  the  confi- 
dence of  the  king  and  court.  Nearly  all  the  other  for- 
eigners there  have  belonged  either  to  the  diplomatic  and 
consular  corps  or  to  the  customs,  or  have  gone  out  for 
educational  work.  The  merchants  have  been  few,  for 
the  commercial  advantages  to  be  gained  will  not  sustain 
the  competition  of  large  numbers  or  of  numerous  houses. 


268 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


To  the  poverty  of  the  country,  then,  is  due  the  immu- 
nity from  an  incursion  of  foreigners  carrying  to  the  na- 
tives the  whiskey-jug  which  has  been  the  curse  of  so 
many  countries,  especially  of  Africa. 

The  houses  which  foreignei’S  occupy  are,  with  but  one 
or  two  exceptions,  native  houses  altered  by  building  ad- 
ditions, knocking  out  partitions  and  adapting  them  in 
various  ways  to  our  different  habits.  As  has  already 
been  mentioned,  the  rooms  of  a house  are  very  small ; 
but  since  the  partitions  are  often  nothing  but  a frame- 
work of  wood  covered  with  paper,  they  are  easily  re- 
moved, and  several  rooms  thus  thrown  into  one  make 
comfortable  living-quarters.  Foreigners  usually  pur- 
chase houses  from  the  better  class,  and  as  these  houses 
generally  have  plenty  of  ground  around  them,  they  are 
easily  transformed,  with  but  little  outlay,  into  pleasant 
abodes  with  the  accessories  of  lawn,  flower-garden  and 
often  tennis-courts.  Kepapered  and  furnished,  their 
paper-covered  windows  replaced  with  others  of  glass, 
these  native  houses  make  very  comfortable  residences 
both  in  summer  and  winter.  The  abundance  of  win- 
dows and  doors  makes  ventilation  in  summer  easy, 
while  these  same  vents  can  in  winter  be  so  sealed  up 
with  the  tough  paper  which  can  be  obtained  there  in 
great  abundance  as  to  be  comfortable  and  cheery  in  the 
steady  cold  of  winter.  The  shape  of  the  houses,  built, 
as  we  have  shown,  around  a hollow  court,  allows  plenty 
of  light  in  all  the  rooms,  even  though  the  eaves  do  over- 


FOREIGN  LIFE  IN  KOREA. 


269 


hang  four  or  more  feet.  * Of  furniture  almost  nothing 
can  be  obtained  in  Korea.  Cabinets,  of  which  we 
have  spoken,  brass  vessels  of  various  sorts,  china 
water-pitchers,  earthen  crocks  for  keeping  grain,  meals, 
sugar,  etc.,  and  matting  and  grass  rugs  are  about  the 
only  native  articles  to  be  obtained  toward  housekeep- 
ing there.  Of  course,  in  Japan  and  in  China  all  sorts 
of  foreign  stores  sent  from  England  and  the  United 
States  are  to  be  obtained,  and  imitations  of  these,  made 
by  Chinese  and  Japanese,  can  also  be  bought.  The 
furniture  of  Japanese  manufacture  is,  however,  to  be 
shunned.  It  is  made  to  sell,  not  to  use,  and  a Japanese 
chair,  for  example,  requires  constant  tinkering  to  keep 
it  in  a condition  in  which  one  would  willingly  trust  him- 
self upon  it.  As  a result,  those  who  are  wise  take  with 
them  all  stores  from  this  country  or  England,  since  to 
buy  the  same  articles  in  Shanghai  or  Yokohama  re- 
quires double  the  money.  Carpets,  rugs,  hangings  of 
various  sorts,  beds  and  bedding,  stoves  and  kitchen  fur- 
niture and  various  kinds  of  crockery  can  be  bought  to 
advantage  in  Japan,  especially  the  nicer  grades.  Really 
exquisite  dinner-  and  tea-sets  can  be  obtained  there.  Of 
course  the  pocket  of  the  purchaser  can  be  consulted  as 
well  there  as  at  home ; but  care  must  be  taken  to  avoid 
the  foreign  stores,  where  exorbitant  prices  are  charged. 
The  list  of  productions  given  in  the  chapter  on  the  re- 
sources of  Korea  shows  how  far  native  productions  can 
be  relied  on  for  the  larder.  As  a matter  of  fact,  every- 


270 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


thing  necessary  for  the  household  can  be  bought  in  the 
country,  of  Chinese  or  foreign  merchants  established 
there,  though  at  largely  increased  prices.  Foreigners 
send  large  orders  to  San  Francisco  and  to  London, 
while  Shanghai  is  also  much  resorted  to.  The  foreign 
merchants  of  China  and  Japan  are  exceedingly  courteous, 
and  the  writer  has  met  wdth  very  kind  treatment  in 
Shanghai  at  the  hands  of  Mackenzie  & Co.  and  of 
others.  The  rule  is  to  get  all  staples,  such  as  flour, 
sugar,  canned  goods,  jams  and  preserves,  preserved 
meats,  relishes,  etc.,  from  either  London  or  San  Fran- 
cisco. From  the  latter  place  it  takes  at  least  three 
months  to  get  an  order,  while  six  months  are  required 
for  an  order  to  reach  London  and  to  be  filled.  Beef 
and  mutton  are  obtainable  in  the  capital  in  such  quan- 
tities as  one  needs,  both  Japanese  and  Chinese  fur- 
nishing these  supplies.  Fruits  in  their  season  are  ob- 
tainable, and  especially  the  persimmon,  the  star  fruit 
of  the  East. 

In  the  matter  of  domestics  there  is  a choice  between 
Chinese,  Japanese  and  Koreans,  and  they  stand  in  just 
that  order  as  to  the  amount  of  wages  asked.  A first- 
class  Chinese  boy  ” (all  Chinese  male  servants  are 
called  boys,  irrespective  of  age)  can  be  obtained  for 
about  twelve  to*  fifteen  dollars  a month ; a Japanese 
cook  and  his  wife  can  be  hired  for  about  fifteen  dollars 
a month ; while  a Korean  man  or  boy  will  serve  for 
from  four  to  six  dollars  and  find  himself.  Koreans  are 


FOREIGN  LIFE  IN  KOREA. 


271 


very  handy  after  a little  teaching,  and  they  adapt  them- 
selves very  speedily  to  the  individualities  of  their  em- 
ployers. We  had  a native  cook  who  had  had  his  train- 
ing in  the  American  legation,  and  was  quite  equal  to 
getting  up  a very  creditable  dinner  for  almost  any  occa- 
sion. His  ingenuity  in  producing  fancy  dinners  out  of 
what  looked  like  very  scanty  materials  did  him  great 
credit,  and  he  could  serve  up  chickens  (a  standard  arti- 
cle of  diet  among  foreigners  in  Korea)  in  more  ways 
than  one  uninitiated  would  dream  possible.  We  paid 
this  man  six  dollars  a month — all  he  asked.  When  we 
first  commenced  housekeeping  we  used  to  let  our  cook 
have  the  keys  to  enter  the  store-room  and  get  the  ma- 
terials for  use,  but  rapid  diminution  of  the  stores  sug- 
gested a different  plan.  Still  the  goods  seemed  to  van- 
ish with  remarkable  quickness.  We  soon  found  that  the 
ingenuity  of  our  cook  was  displayed  in  other  ways  than 
in  the  getting  up  of  odd  dishes.  It  became  necessary  to 
mete  out  to  him  daily  just  the  amount  of  staples  re- 
quired to  carry  us  over  the  day.  One  day,  after  this 
movement  had  been  inaugurated,  the  dust-cloth  was 
called  for  and  was  nowhere  to  be  found.  Cook,  whose 
house  was  only  a short  block  away,  was  missed  imme- 
diately from  the  kitchen.  On  his  return  he  was  asked 
about  the  missing  duster,  and  after  some  search  he  dis- 
covered it  in  some  corner  of  the  kitchen.  But  the  pecu- 
liar thing  about  this  was  that  one  side  of  the  cloth  was 
marked  with  flour  in  the  center,  while  the  edges  and 


272 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


corners  were  all  marked  with  creases.  Cook,  good, 
thrifty  fellow  that  he  was,  seeing  that  chances  for  pecu- 
lation were  small,  had  concluded  that  a piece  of  dough 
w^ould  be  something  toward  subsistence,  even  though  it 
were  baked  at  home. 

There  is  always  a certain  amount  of  uncertainty  as 
to  just  what  a Korean  servant  is  going  to  do,  which 
gives  a spice  to  life  in  that  country.  We  allowed  to 
our  cook  daily  a certain  amount  of  cash,  with  which 
he  was  to  furnish  for  that  day  chicken,  meat  for  soup 
and  garnishing.  Sometimes,  in  order  to  increase  his 
revenues,  he  would  buy  a number  of  chickens  at 
once,  as  thus  he  could  get  them  cheaper.  Of  course 
we  had  no  objection  to  this.  But  one  day  cook  found 
that  a weazel  had  killed  one  of  his  chickens.  This 
seemed  a special  providence:  it  saved  him  the  neces- 
sity of  using  his  knife.  But  the  lady  of  the  house 
had  a suspicion  that  that  chicken  was  meant  to  do  duty 
on  our  table.  At  a certain  moment  she  appeared  in  the 
kitclieu,  and  found  cook  ready  to  pick  the  fowl  prelimi- 
nary to  cooking  it.  She  managed,  with  the  aid  of  much 
English,  many  gestures  and  a little  Korean,  to  make 
cook  understand  that  w’e  could  not  stomach  a chicken 
killed  in  that  wav ; but  cook  was  somewhat  reconciled 
when  he  was  told  that  he  might  take  it  home  and  make 
use  of  it  there  as  he  saw  fit. 

Another  time  my  wife  found  on  the  stove,  an  hour 
before  lunch,  a pot  in  which,  apparently,  the  soup  for 


FOREIGN  LIFE  IN  KOREA. 


273 


dinner  was  cooking.  Examination  disclosed  the  legs 
and  feet  (claws  included),  the  neck,  and  finally  the 
head  (comb,  eyes  and  all)  of  a chicken.  Cook  was  out 
at  the  time,  but  when  he  returned  he  was  asked  if  he 
was  making  soup.  Temporary  relief  was  afforded  by 
the  assurance  that  he  was  cooking  those  portions  for 
his  own  sustenance.  A new  alarm  was  raised  soon 
after  luncheon,  when  the  same  pot  was  found  on  the 
stove,  with  the  same  amount  of  water  and  apparently 
the  same  contents.  My  wife  immediately  concluded 
that  the  cook  was  pocketing  the  amount  of  cash  neces- 
sary to  buy  meat  for  soup,  and  was  serving  up  chicken’s 
extremities  so  cooked  as  to  be  unrecognizable.  A spoon 
brought  up  from  the  bottom  of  the  pot  a ragged  piece 
of  meat  which  I recognized  at  once  as  beef,  but  it  had 
to  be  turned  over  several  times  before  the  lady  could  be 
convinced  that  of  all  the  vagaries  a cow  indulges  in, 
she  never  grows  a rooster’s  comb  on  any  part  of  her 
. anatomy. 

Korean  servants  are  very  willing  to  learn,  yet  there 
are  vexations  in  the  way  of  training  them  that  call  for 
the  exercise  of  much  patience.  At  first  the  necessity 
for  frequent  ablutions  does  not  appear  to  the  natives, 
and  constant  watchfulness  is  necessary  to  have  them 
retain  the  cleanliness  essential  in  housekeeping.  They 
pick  up  quickly  the  ways  of  the  household,  often  do 
things  in  the  way  they  have  been  taught  for  a consid- 
erable period,  and  then,  when  they  have  become  familiar 

IS 


274 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


with  their  duties,  they  begin  to  grow  lax.  It  seems 
as  if  a certain  amount  of  toning  up  in  the  way  of 
scolding  is  requisite  to  keep  them  up  to  the  performance 
of  their  duties.  One  thing  peculiar  about  these  servants 
is  that  a scolding  in  English,  which  is  unintelligible  to 
them,  produces  far  more  effect  than  one  in  Korean. 
The  only  time  I ever  lost  my  patience  was  when  one 
of  our  boys  was  beating  his  younger  brother,  who  was 
our  table-boy.  I had  stopped  the  process  once  and  for- 
bidden him  to  do  so  again,  but  when  he  thought  I was 
engaged  he  continued  the  chastisement.  I w’as  so  an- 
gered at  his  brutality  and  his  disobedience  that  I forgot 
my  Korean  and  scolded  him  in  English.  The  fellow 
turned  pale  with  terror,  for  I had  never  so  spoken  to 
him  and  he  had  never  seen  me  angry.  I had  often, 
heard  this  peculiarity  spoken  of  as  a fact,  but  had 
never  experienced  it. 

Curious  mistakes  sometimes  result  from  the  ignorance 
of  the  servants  and  their  desire  to  do  smart  things.  One 
time  a resident  desired  to  have  for  dinner  some  canned 
green  peas,  and  gave  a can  to  the  cook  with  directions 
to  prepare  them.  The  article  was  new  to  the  servant, 
so  he  set  it  unopened  ou  the  stove,  not  taking  the  pre- 
caution to  punch  a hole  as  a vent  for  steam.  Suddenly 
a loud  report  was  heard,  and  when  the  host,  who  had 
been  entertaining  his  guests,  rushed  out  into  the  kitchen, 
he  found  all  the  servants  outside  except  the  cook,  who 
was  seated  on  the  floor,  dazed,  but  ejaculating  ‘^uo 


FOREIGN  LIFE  IN  KOREA. 


275 


sabby,  no  sabby.”  Peas  were  sprinkled  in  all  the 
courses,  making  a careful  process  of  elimination  neces- 
sary. This  incident  did  not  detract  at  all  from  the  mer- 
riment at  the  table. 

There  was  at  the  capital  a Japanese  washerman  who 
in  general  did  very  good  work.  It  may  interest  house- 
keepers here  to  know  that  the  ordinary  price  for  wash- 
ing in  the  East  is  three  cents  a piece,  little  and  big, 
things  that  go  in  pairs,  such  as  cuffs  and  hose,  count- 
ing only  as  one  piece.  Owing  to  unsatisfactory  work 
in  some  particulars,  one  of  the  ladies  tried  the  experi- 
ment of  hiring  and  teaching  a native  to  act  as  laundry- 
man.  This  lady  took  the  precaution  of  herself  starch- 
ing the  fine  pieces.  One  day  she  was  called  away  from 
the  washing  at  a critical  point,  and  when  she  returned 
she  found  that  all  the  starching  had  been  done  by  her 
washerman,  who  proudly  told  her  that  he  had  finished. 
When  her  husband  tried  to  put  on  his  shirt  the  next 
week,  he  found  that  that  article  had  received  starch  not 
only  in  the  bosom  and  cuffs,  but  all  over,  and  was  per- 
fectly competent  to  stand  alone  and  in  any  position. 

Koreans  often  at  first  hesitate  to  enter  a foreigner’s 
service,  but  one  taste  acts  as  an  appetizer,  and  there- 
after they  eagerly  seek  positions  in  a foreign  house- 
hold. There  are  two  drawbacks,  however:  they  seem 
to  be  natural  peculators,  not  of  large  things,  but  of 
small,  and  little  things  are  constantly  missing  out  of 
the  house,  especially  in  the  way  of  vegetables.  The 


276 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


other  trouble  is  that  they  are  not  reliable.  They  will 
stay,  and  do  well  for  some  weeks  or  months,  and  then 
— well,  to  use  a Hibernicism,  turn  up  missing,  and  that 
at  the  most  inconvenient  time.  Often  in  times  of  sick- 
ness, when  they  are  most  needed,  or  when  company  is 
expected  to  dinner,  a relative  of  a servant  will  fall  ill, 
or  a family  visit  to  the  ancestral  tablet  must  be  made, 
which  takes  him  away  from  his  post.  As  time  goes  on 
these  things  happen  more  frequently,  so  that  a change 
becomes  necessary.  Often  a servant  who  has  been 
boasted  of  as  perfection,  and  on  account  of  whom  the 
employer  has  been  envied  by  other  residents,  becomes 
unreliable,  and  has  to  be  discharged.  This  is  the  draw- 
back and  the  great  failing  of  native  servants,  to  which 
there  are  very  few  exceptions.  They  are  very  ingenious 
in  the  way  of  fashioning  makeshifts  for  tools  and  instru- 
ments and  kitchen  utensils  which  we  possess,  but  which 
they  are  without. 

One  drawback  to  life  in  Korea  is  that  a large  number 
of  servants  is  indispensable.  Various  circumstances  make 
it  impossible  for  a housekeeper  to  do  her  own  work.  If 
one  keeps  a horse  or  a cow,  a man  is  required  to  look 
after  that.  There  must  be  a gateman,  whose  duty  it 
is  to  look  after  the  great  gate  at  the  street  entrance, 
bring  in  the  cards  of  visitors,  carry  in  from  outhouses 
wood  and  coal  and  sometimes  run  errands.  Often  a 
man  is  required  for  this  last  duty  alone.  There  is  gen- 
erally an  ahmah  or  nurse,  especially  if  there  is  a baby;  if 


FOREIGN  LIFE  IN  KOREA. 


277 


there  is  no  little  one,  the  nurse  does  some  of  the  sewing 
and  mending.  Besides  this,  a cook  is  almost  a necessity, 
and,  moreover,  a table-boy  or  boy-of-all-work  is  required, 
so  that  in  Korea  quite  a retinue  is  necessary,  for  each 
person  will  perform  only  his  own  duty.  Often,  for  a 
proportionate  increase  of  pay,  the  gateman  will  perform 
the  duties  of  gateman  and  groom  or  stableman,  but  that 
is  about  as  far  as  retrenchment  can  be  carried.  The 
native  gentleman  has  so  large  a retinue  of  servants  that 
the  natives  cannot  understand  how  a few  can  possibly 
carry  on  the  work  of  a household.  Reasons  for  main- 
taining a household  somewhat  after  the  Korean  notions 
of  what  is  fitting  will  be  shown  in  the  chapter  on  mis- 
sions. Another  peculiarity  about  Korean  servants  is 
what  is  called  squeezing  ’’ — an  institution  well  known 
also  in  China.  On  everything  brought  into  the  house 
by  native  merchants  there  is  a commission  charged  by 
the  gateman,  which  is  divided  among  the  servants  of 
the  household.  The  consequence  is  that  the  merchant 
in  selling  the  goods  always  allows  for  the  amount  which 
he  must  give  to  the  servants  as  commission.  This  is 
the  case  with  everything  sold  by  native  merchants. 
Of  course  they  have  no  control  over  what  comes  from 
Chinese  or  foreign  merchants.  Also,  if  a servant  is 
sent  out  to  buy  any  article  for  use  in  the  house,  it  is 
more  than  likely  that  he  will  charge  for  his  services. 
Our  cook  on  entering  our  employ  bought  a water-crock 
or  jar  for  which  he  charged  us  eight  hundred  cash,  but 


278 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


it  cost  him  only  about  three  hundred.  We  learned  in 
our  last  year  in  the  country  that  for  many  articles 
bought  during  our  first  year  we  had  paid  double  the 
amount  paid  by  natives  for  similar  ones. 

But  these  Koreans  are  very  useful  in  transforming 
apparently  worthless  articles  into  useful  utensils.  We 
used  to  buy  kerosene  in  ten-gallon  cases,  put  up  in  five- 
gallon  cans.  These  cans,  set  on  a broad  bottom  and  re- 
inforced by  wooden  cleats  around  the  edges  and  sides, 
were  used  after  cleansing  as  very  light  and  useful  water- 
buckets.  Ordinary  cracker-boxes  or  dry-goods  cases 
were  changed  by  the  native  cooper  into  excellent  pails, 
wash-tubs  and  even  bath-tubs. 

Japanese  servants  require  less  training  than  Koreans. 
Japan  is  now  so  enlightened  that  it  is  not  difficult  to  se- 
cure domestics  who  have  had  sufficient  experience  to  en- 
able them  to  do  all  that  is  required  with  but  little  teach- 
ing beyond  showing  the  individual  tastes  of  the  family 
they  are  to  serve.  They  are  also  much  more  efficient, 
and  will  do  much  more  work  and  in  a steadier  manner 
than  double  the  number  of  Koreans.  The  main  draw- 
back here  is  that  they  become  afflicted  with  homesick- 
ness, and  leave  one  on  the  spur  of  the  moment  and  at 
the  most  inopportune  times.  The  experience  in  Korea 
has  been  that  one  cannot  rely  on  the  permanence  of 
Japanese  help. 

Perhaps  the  most  satisfactory  method  is  to  have  a 
Chinese  head  servant  or  steward,  and  give  the  manage- 


FOREIGN  LIFE  IN  KOREA. 


279 


meut  largely  into  his  hands.  The  Chinese  make  most 
excellent  help.  They  are  reliable  and  steady,  and  if  one 
becomes  attached  to  the  family,  he  will  remain  with  it 
even  at  much  personal  inconvenience.  They  have  the 
knack  of  managing  Koreans,  and  one  Chinaman  with 
native  help  will  make  things  move  very  smoothly  in 
the  household.  The  only  drawback  is  that  Chinese 
help  is  quite  costly. 

In  Eastern  countries  the  great  menace  to  health  comes 
in  the  tendency  to  bowel  complaints.  Cholera  is  espe- 
cially a scourge.  From  India,  where  it  is  endemic,  it 
• passes  by  the  trade  routes  through  Singapore  up  to 
Hong  Kong,  thence  to  Japan  and  so  over  to  the  penin- 
sula. In  consequence  of  this  the  utmost  care  has  to  be 
taken,  especially  with  water  for  table  purposes.  In 
Korea  water  is  generally  drawn  from  wells  on  the 
compounds  or  private  enclosures,  and  not  from  the 
public  wells  on  the  street.  But  even  this  precaution  is 
not  considered  enough,  and  water  is  boiled  and  filtered. 
Such  precautions  are  generally  sufficient,  and  it  is  very 
seldom  that  in  Japan  or  Korea  a foreigner  dies  of  that 
scourge.  The  great  mortality  in  Korea  from  this  source 
is  due  almost  entirely  to  the  fact,  already  noted,  that  the 
public  wells  are  often  close  by  the  open  sewers  of  the 
cities,  and  the  germs  of  the  disease  infiltrate  through  the 
soil  into  the  water.  In  Japan  there  is  already  great  at- 
tention paid  to  sanitation,  so  that  there  the  plague  is 
less  deadly. 


280 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


As  to  travel  in  Korea,  there  are  three  methods : by 
sedan  chair  (the  usual  method),  on  horseback  or  pony- 
back  and  on  foot.  Of  course  there  are  no  public  con- 
veyances. In  Japan  the  kurimas  or  jin-rickshaws  are 
a public  convenience.  There  is  nothing  in  Korea  to 
take  their  place.  Each  foreigner  keeps  his  chair,  and 
often  hires  the  bearers  by  the  month.  In  the  city  and 
immediate  vicinity  no  relay  is  needed,  but  on  longer 
journeys,  as  from  the  capital  to  the  port,  a relief  goes 
along,  and  they  change  every  mile  or  two.  These  chairs 
are  comfortable,  being  arranged  so  that  one  sits  down  as 
in  an  arm-chair,  all  being  nicely  upholstered,  with  win-  . 
dows  at  the  sides  and  behind,  which  can  be  opened  to 
admit  the  air  in  summer  and  closed  so  as  to  keep  out  the 
cold  in  winter.  These  chairs,  about  three  and  a half  feet 
square  and  four  and  three-fourths  feet  high,  are  raised 
by  two  shafts  run  through  large  staples  at  the  sides, 
brought  together  at  the  back  by  two  cross-pieces,  and 
these  again  crossed  by  other  pieces  running  the  same 
way  as  the  shafts.  These  latter  pieces  rest  on  the 
shoulders  of  the  bearers,  two  of  whom,  the  second  and 
third,  are  inside  the  shafts,  while  the  others  are  outside. 
When  all  is  in  readiness  the  word  is  given,  the  chair  is 
raised  so  that  the  bottom  swings  nearly  a foot  from  the 
ground,  and  off  go  the  bearers  at  a good  round  pace  of 
nearly  five  miles  an  hour.  The  motion  of  these  chairs 
with  experienced  bearers  is  very  agreeable,  and  one  can 
read  or  go  to  sleep  without  any  sense  of  discomfort  ex- 


FOREIGN  LIFE  IN  KOREA. 


281 


cept  during  a very  long  ride,  when  the  constrained  posi- 
tion becomes  a little  tiresome. 

To  those  who  are  fond  of  walking  the  vicinity  of  the 
capital  offers  many  inducements  for  a stroll.  One  can 
go  in  many  different  directions  and  find  sights  to  charm 
the  eye.  Spectacles  curious  and  interesting  meet  the 
gaze  at  almost  every  turn  and  at  all  seasons.  What 
has  been  said  of  walking  applies  equally  well  to  horse- 
back exercise. 

There  is  one  drawback  to  the  outing  of  ladies  within 
the  city  limits,  at  least  on  foot,  and  that  is  the  curiosity 
of  the  people.  Unaccustomed  as  people  there  are  to  see- 
ing women  on  the  streets,  the  sight  of  our  ladies  riding 
or  walking  without  the  pretence  of  keeping  their  faces 
hidden  from  the  gaze  is  a novel  one.  The  people  seem 
unable  to  see  often  enough  these  peculiar  creatures,  and, 
if  allowed,  will  follow  for  blocks  a company  going  out 
shopping  or  for  a walk.  It  often  requires  the  author- 
ity of  a soldier  to  keep  the  crowds  from  pressing  too 
close. 

Doubtless  upon  the  ladies  presses  most  heavily  the 
ennui  of  Eastern  life.  Even  in  Japan  there  are  greater 
possibilities  of  amusement.  Concert  troupes  pass  through 
the  country,  and  some  enjoyment  is  to  be  gained  in  that 
way.  Then  there  are  larger  colonies  of  foreigners  and 
greater  diversity  of  occupation.  Still,  even  in  Korea 
there  are  enjoyments  which  do  much  to  make  time  pass 
lightly.  The  foreign  colony  in  the  capital  is  of  just 


282 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


siicli  size  as  to  make  iDtercourse  easy  and  familiar  and 
without  constraint.  Numbering  about  fifty,  exclusive 
of  Japanese,  there  is  a unity  of  feeling  and  a com- 
munity of  interests  among  the  foreigners  in  the  capi- 
tal which  contributes  very  largely  to  the  delightfulness 
of  life  there.  Each  season  has  its  amusements,  and  in 
a round  of  social  pleasure  the  years  pass  away  for  the 
most  part  comfortably  indeed.  Of  course  the  ladies 
generally  find  their  household  duties  occupying  their 
mornings.  During  the  spring  and  autumn,  and  also 
often  in  summer  and  winter,  very  pleasant  recreation 
is  found  in  horseback  rides  to  various  points.  As 
already  mentioned,  there  are  many  charming  bits  of 
scenery,  and  many  roads  where  a little  mountain  climb- 
ing varies  the  monotony  and  deepens  the  breathing. 
Often  picnics  are  made  up  to  visit  this  spot  and  that. 
Occasionally  a picnic  party  decides  to  go  some  three 
miles  away'  to  the  river,  and  then,  crossing  in  the 
native  boats,  the  rendezvous  is  found  on  the  high 
bluffs  on  the  opposite  side.  Visits  are  sometimes 
made  to  the  fortress  of  Puk  Hon,  some  fifteen  to 
eighteen  miles  north  of  the  capital,  where  most  ex- 
quisite scenery,  varied  and  wild,  meets  the  eye  and 
charms  the  senses.  In  every  direction  in  which  one 
turns  some  objects  of  interest  are  found.  In  their 
seasons  various  flowers  make  the  hills  and  meadows 
bright  and  odorous.  White  violets,  softly  fragrant, 
tempt  the  lover  of  that  flower  down  to  revel  in  banks 


FOREIGN  LIFE  IN  KOREA. 


283 


of  perfume.  The  hills  are  in  the  spring  covered  with 
oleander,  and  parties  come  home  and  make  their  dwell- 
ings bright  with  magenta  and  white  bloom. 

Another  popular  amusement  is  tennis.  Many  of  the 
compounds  have  excellent  tennis-courts,  and  the  ladies 
acting  as  hostesses  invite  as  guests  their  friends  to  join 
and  make  the  afternoon  enjoyable.  As  business  ceases 
at  from  four  to  five,  and  some  are  able  to  get  away 
much  earlier,  the  afternoons  pass  without  much  mon- 
otony. Generally  there  is  such  a spirit  of  friendly 
rivalry  between  pairs  and  teams  that  to  the  mere  sport 
of  the  game  there  is  added  the  spice  of  a real  contest 
for  supremacy.  Such  weather  for  tennis  as  the  weeks 
from  September  1st  to  about  December  1st  afford  can 
surely  be  found  nowhere  else.  Then  the  temperature 
has  cooled  down  from  the  midsummer  heat  of  August 
to  a comfortable  degree,  and  as  the  thermometer  grad- 
ually drops  hard  play  increases,  while  seldom  are  the 
grounds  unfit  for  play  by  reason  of  storms.  One  sea- 
son the  writer  played  tennis  from  March  15th  till  De- 
cember 16th,  when  the  ground  froze  and  the  racquet  was 
laid  away.  Of  course,  during  the  summer  the  play  did 
not  commence  till  after  six,  when  the  heat  of  the  sun 
had  diminished. 

Besides  these  out-door  exercises,  amusements  and  di- 
vertisements  intellectual  occupy  the  mind  during  the 
evenings.  Dinner-parties  are  a pretext  to  gather  the 
people  at  some  one  of  the  homes.  There  readings,  cha- 


284 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


rades,  musical  selections  vocal  and  instrumental,  story- 
telling, chess,  dominoes  and  the  varied  resources  of  cul- 
tured people  are  drawn  upon  for  the  common  interest 
and  pleasure.  Musicians  and  singers  of  practice  and 
skill  are  numbered  among  the  foreigners  there.  Occa- 
sionally the  Mikado’s  empire  is  drawn  upon  for  the  en- 
tertainment of  the  guests,  and  Japanese  tricks  of  leger- 
demain and  illusion  mystify  those  gathered.  For  those 
gentlemen  who  like  to  hunt  there  is  game  for  the  shot- 
gun and  the  rifle.  1 have  spent  many  a day  out  with 
my  gun  after  wild  pigeons,  ducks,  swans,  geese  and  wild 
pheasants,  seldom  returning  with  empty  game-bag.  The 
hunter  there  is  never  harassed,  after  leaving  the  city,  by 
being  warned  off  an  inviting  piece  of  woodland  by  the 
repellant  Trespassers  will  be  prosecuted  to  the  full  ex- 
tent of  the  law.”  He  may  go  almost  where  he  will  and 
yet  not  trespass.  Should  he  desire  deer,  he  may  take  a 
five  days’  trip  from  the  capital,  with  more  than  an  even 
chance  of  bringing  back  a haunch  of  venison.  Should 
larger  game  be  his  object,  a few  days’  journey  will  bring 
him  to  the  haunts  of  the  leopard  and  the  royal  tiger. 
In  fact,  during  my  residence  in  Seoul  a leopard  was 
shot  within  a third  of  a mile  of  our  house,  and  one  was 
seen  several  times  within  a hundred  yards  of  the  same. 
This  animal  was  driven  into  one  of  the  old  palace  en- 
closures by  the  deep  snows  of  the  winter.  Doubtless 
he  hoped  to  make  a few  meals  on  the  innumerable  dogs 
to  be  found  within  the  city  limits.  Several  varieties 


FOREIGN  LIFE  IN  KOREA. 


285 


of  duck  abound  in  the  autumn,  and  wild  geese  settle 
by  thousands  not  five  miles  from  the  city.  Swans  have 
a feeding-place  less  than  four  miles  from  the  city,  and  a 
visit  to  this  has  resulted  several  times  in  my  bringing 
back  two  fine  fellows,  brought  down  with  my  Winches- 
ter at  distances  of  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  three 
hundred  yards.  One  of  my  experiences  may  not  be 
without  interest  to  the  reader : I was  out  after  duck  one 
day,  when  I saw  a couple  fly  and  alight  some  half  a 
mile  down  the  river.  I followed  them,  keeping  behind 
a huge  pile  of  stones  thrown  up  to  form  a pier  at  time 
of  high  water.  There  I found  a number  of  Koreans, 
who  called  to  me  to  hurry  and  shoot  the  duck.  Just 
as  I peeped  around  the  corner  the  two  I had  seen  rose 
and  flew ; yet  one  was  left,  which  dived,  but  came  up 
very  speedily.  His  peculiar  antics  and  a strange  way 
of  acting  mystified  me,  but,  fearing  lest  he  should  get 
away,  I fired  and  killed  him.  The  current  was  very 
swift,  and  I shouted  to  the  Koreans  to  get  into  a boat 
and  bring  him  to  shore.  I was  surprised  to  find  that 
they  did  not  do  so,  especially  as  I promised  some  cash 
to  the  one  who  should  fetch  him.  What  astonished  me 
more  was  to  see  the  duck  which  I thought  I had  killed 
suddenly  put  his  head  under  water  and  make  for  the 
shore  in  a very  peculiar  manner.  The  Koreans  were 
around  the  corner  where  I could  not  see  them,  so  I ran 
around  to  spur  them  up,  fearing  lest  I should  yet  lose 
my  bird.  When  I reached  them,  what  was  my  sur- 


286 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


prise  to  see  the  dead  bird  Dearly  at  the  shore,  beiog 
pulled  in  with  a Hue  fast  to  a hook  in  its  throat,  and 
the  men  and  boys  laughing  themselves  red  in  the  face 
over  the  joke  they  had  played  on  the  ^^Tai  In’^  great 
man  ’’ — I think  I have  mentioned  that  that  is  the  title 
they  apply  to  foreigners).  I joined  in  the  laugh  at  my 
expense,  and  waited  for  an  explanation.  They  had  been 
fishing  for  duck,  and  had  taken  this  one ; but  the  line 
was  weak,  and  so  they  had  feared  to  pull,  since  the 
duck  was  a large  one ; consequently  they  had  welcomed 
me  to  help  them  in  the  matter.  After  they  had  laughed 
somewhat  immoderately,  as  I thought,  they  took  the 
hook  out  and  laid  the  duck  on  the  ground.  I mo- 
tioned to  the  man  who  accompanied  me  to  pick  it  up 
and  put  it  in  the  bag.  This  put  another  face  on  the 
matter,  and  the  one  who  had  caught  the  bird  sobered 
immediately,  and  claimed  the  bird  as  his  because  his 
hook  had  caught  it  and  his  line  had  pulled  it  in.  I 
then  claimed  it,  on  the  ground  that  he  couldnT  take  it 
though  he  had  caught  it,  and  that  my  shot  had  killed  it. 
The  bystanders  laughed  again  at  this  turn  of  the  argu- 
ment, and  the  fisherman  scratched  his  head  for  a reply. 
After  parleying  a little  while,  and  teasing  the  fellow  till 
I thought  I had  evened  matters,  I proposed  a compro- 
mise, suggesting  that  the  bird  was  half  his  and  half 
mine.  To  this  he  eagerly  agreed,  and  then  I bought 
his  half  for  a sum  equivalent  to  about  ten  cents — all 
that  he  asked  for  it. 


FOREIGN  LIFE  IN  KOREA. 


287 


It  will  thus  be  seen  that  there  is  no  dearth  of  sport, 
pleasure  and  pastime,  manly  and  vigorous  or  gentle 
and,  if  you  please,  genteel,  in  the  hermit  kingdom.  To 


day  or  two  of  sunshine,  but  ITie  ground  is  never  dry 
and  the  houses  get  thoroughly  dampened.  At  such 
times  it  is  necessary  to  light  fires  in  the  kangs  and  dry 
the  rooms  out.  Clothing  has  to  be  dried  by  artificial 
heat,  for  the  atmosphere  is  thoroughly  humid  and  the 
dampness  penetrates  every  corner  of  the  house.  The 
temperature  never  rises  above  95°  in  the  shade,  seldom 
over  90°,  and  the  nights  nearly  always  permit  sleep. 
But  the  heat  is  steady,  and  with  the  humidity  so  high 
as  it  generally  is  this  season  is  peculiarly  trying.  For- 
tunately, this  period  is  not  a long  one,  and  in  the  mag- 
nificent autumn  which  follows  one  soon  forgets  the  dis- 
comfort of  the  few  midsummer  weeks.  Reminders  of 
the  dampness  of  those  weeks  remain,  however,  in  the 
shape  of  spotted  gloves,  unless  one  has  taken  the  pre- 
caution to  enclose  them  in  air-tight  cans  and  to  dry 


one  who  is  disposed  to  make  the  most  of  his  opportu- 
nities the  little  cornei^rathe  globe  called  Korea  is  by  no 


288 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


them  thoroughly  several  times  during  the  wet  season. 
This  precaution  prevents  trouble. 

The  principle  of  extra-territoriality  is  applied  to  for- 
eigners. None  but  Koreans  are  subject  to  Korean  law, 
and  even  those  who  are  in  the  employ  of  foreigners  can 
be  arrested  only  through  the  respective  consulates  of 
their  employers.  Foreigners  are  subject  only  to  the 
consuls  representing  their  own  countries.  The  exten- 
sion of  the  principle  to  employes  of  foreigners  is  to 
prevent  the  latter  from  being  placed  in  straits  through 
pressure  applied  by  means  of  the  servants.  This  same 
principle  of  extra-territoriality  is  usual  in  the  East. 
The  forms  of  justice  in  those  countries  are  so  different 
from  our  own,  and  the  punishments  so  at  variance  with 
what  we  deem  right,  that  naturally  we  do  not  care  to 
submit  to  the  punitive  decisions  and  regulations  in 
vogue  there.  But,  while  foreigners  are  not  subject  to 
the  native  laws,  they  yet  have  influence  in  securing 
mitigation  of  punishments  or  release  of  prisoners  held 
under  the  operation  of  those  laws.  In  several  cases 
which  came  under  our  observ^ation  the  missionaries 
secured  the  release  of  men  who  had  been  imprisoned 
on  grounds  which  to  the  missionaries  seemed  unjust. 
I was,  as  related  elsewhere,  appealed  to  in  a case  of 
this  kind  by  a man  whose  wife  had  been  seized  by  a 
rural  mandarin.  But  while  foreigners  are  able  to  wield 
a corrective  or  restraining  agency  in  this  way,  it  needs  a 
careful  discrimination  to  use  that  influence.  Korean  of- 


FOEEIGN  LIFE  IN  KOREA. 


289  ' 


ficials,  like  all  Eastern  magnates,  are  jealous  of  their 
prerogatives,  and  unwise  interference  would  soon  have 
the  effect  not  only  of  weakening  the  influence  of  for- 
eigners, but  would  arouse  resentment  and  pave  the  way 
for  a restriction  of  the  privileges  now  enjoyed  by  resi- 
dents in  the  country. 

A novelty  to  Occidentals  who  are  in  the  employ  of 
the  government  is  the  presents  which  come  to  them 
from  the  palace  at  certain  times  of  the  year.  On  the 
occasion  of  the  birthdays  of  the  king,  queen,  crown 
prince  and  other  immediate  connections  of  the  royal 
family  the  king  orders  the  president  of  the  home  oflice, 
whose  office  corresponds  somewhat  to  that  of  our  secre- 
tary of  the  interior,  to  send  presents  to  those  foreigners 
who  are  connected  with  the  government.  These  pres- 
ents differ  somewhat  according  to  the  time  of  year.  At 
one  time  we  received  a present  of  about  fifty  pounds  of 
beef,  six  large  fish  weighing  from  ten  to  twenty  pounds 
each,  four  hundred  eggs,  done  up  in  straw  strings  con- 
taining ten  in  a string  (we  used  to  have  our  jokes  about 
buying  eggs  by  the  yard),  half  a dozen  live  chickens, 
about  half  a bushel  of  large  chestnuts  and  the  same 
quantity  of  English  walnuts.  In  the  time  of  persim- 
mons three  or  four  hundred  of  that  luscious  fruit  would 
be  sent  in  place  of  some  other  articles.  Sometimes  a 
dozen  pheasants  would  appear.  In  the  summer  from 
forty  to  eighty  fans  of  various  patterns  found  their  way 
to  our  door.  To  the  bearers  of  these  we  were  expected 
19 


290 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


to  present  a gratuity  of  about  a dollar  or  a dollar  and  a 
half.  It  generally  happened  that  the  fish  were  unmis- 
takably and  odoriferously  dead,  and  the  beef  was  not 
seldom  in  the  same  condition.  But,  fortunately, 
Koreans  like  meat  and  fish  “gamey,^'  and  so  all 
supplies  of  this  kind  came  in  well  for  the  servants. 
The  attendants  of  the  foreigners  in  native  employ  were 
always  jubilant  when  these  presents  arrived,  for  they 
meant  a feast  of  good  things,  if  not  wine  on  the  lees,’’ 
to  them.  No  matter  how  strong  the  smell,  the  food  was 
acceptable  to  Koreans,  and  was  received  with  joy  and 
eaten  with  gusto. 

In  return  for  such  presents  the  foreigners  are  ex- 
pected to  give  thanks  and  good  wishes  for  the  donor  to 
the  president  of  the  home  office.  The  sending  of  these 
presents  is  another  good  omen  for  the  continuance  of 
the  pleasant  relations  at  present  existing  between  the 
government  and  the  foreigners  in  its  employ,  as  well 
as  a proof  that  Koreans  estimate  very  highly  the  ser- 
vice the  foreigners  are  rendering. 


CHAPTER  XV. 


MISSIONARY  WORK. 

rpHIS  little  book  should  not  be  closed  without  a word 
on  missions.  Other  w’orks  on  Korea  were  for  the 
most  part  written  prior  to  the  occupation  of  that  coun- 
try as  a mission  field,  or  were  the  productions  of  men 
who  had  no  special  interest  in  the  work  of  spreading 
the  gospel.  The  missionaries  and  others  who  from 
occupation  or  from  love  for  the  Master  have  felt  an 
interest  in  the  religious  welfare  of  the  Korean  nation 
have  written,  now  and  again,  to  periodicals  such  as  The 
Independent  of  New  York,  giving  isolated  facts  or  the 
bearing  of  certain  occurrences  on  the  work  of  missions, 
or  the  yearly  summaries  of  things  accomplished.  But 
the  situation  of  missionaries,  the  disposition  of  the  gov- 
ernment and  of  the  people  toward  Christianity,  the  re- 
ceptivity of  the  population,  the  obstacles  and  limitations 
of  missionary  enterprise,  have  not  been  set  forth  in  their 
correlations.  And  yet  there  is  a very  general  interest 
among  Americans  concerning  these  matters.  Wherever 
the  writer  has  preached,  and  has  mentioned  that  he  has 
been  in  Korea,  the  request  has  come,  “ Tell  us  about  the 
work  there.’^  Eager  inquiry  and  pointed  questioning 

291 


292 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


have  demonstrated  that  people  want  to  know  the  status 
of  Christianity  in  the  hermit  peninsula.  The  dramatic 
circumstances  under  cover  of  wdiich  Dr.  Allen,  bv  can- 
tious  and  judicious  action,  aided  by  his  medical  knowl- 
edge and  practice,  secured  an  entrance  and  a sure  footing 
for  Christian  work  at  the  capital  have  heightened  the 
feeling  of  interest.  Those  acquainted  with  the  circum- 
stances have  remarked  upon  the  providence  of  Dr. 
Allen’s  presence  at  the  banquet  when  Min  Yong  Ik 
staggered  in,  bleeding  from  wounds  inflicted  by  a would- 
be  assassin.  Nor  has  the  dramatic  element  been  entirely 
absent  in  the  subsequent  dealings  of  missionaries  with 
Koreans.  But  thanks  are  due  to  Him  who  holds  the 
sceptre  of  the  nations  that  the  curtain  has  not  gone 
down  in  any  act  upon  a tragedy.  While  more  than 
once  during  the  last  few  years  trouble  has  seemed 
imminent,  and  at  one  time  a persecution  of  Christians 
might  easily  have  been  precipitated,  no  unseemly  act 
has  been  committed,  and  no  Protestant  convert,  so  far 
as  knowm,  has  suffered  for  renouncing  the  faith  of  his 
fathers. 

The  beginning  of  Protestant  evangelization  of  Korea 
is  due  to  the  efforts  of  the  Rev.  John  Ross  of  Moukden, 
China.  Korea  borders  Manchuria  on  the  north-west. 
Formerly  there  was  a neutral  strip  between  the  two 
countries,  on  which  no  one  was  allowed  to  settle,  but 
this  strip  has  gradually  been  occupied  even  to  the  wall 
of  stakes.  There  was  supposed  to  be  no  communication 


MISSIONARY  WORK. 


293 


between  the  two  countries,  but  because  of  the  gradual 
settlement  of  that  neutral  strip  communication  has  be- 
come more  frequent.  Besides  this,  the  embassies  bear- 
ing the  tribute  of  the  king  of  Korea  to  China  were 
pretexts  for  more  than  the  mere  embassy  to  pass  to 
Pekin,  and  so  it  happened  that  copies  of  the  Scriptures 
in  Chinese  passed  by  way  of  Pekin  into  Korea.  It 
came  about  in  this  way  that  Koreans  of  the  North 
heard  of  the  Christian  religion,  and  inquiries  were 
made  for  an  evangelist  to  explain  what  had  been  read. 
Mr.  Boss  studied  the  Korean  dialect,  and  a translation 
of  the  New  Testament  was  made  into  Korean,  which 
was  provisional,  but  served  its  purpose  very  well. 
Visits  were  made  by  Koreans  into  China  especially  to 
learn  about  this  religion,  and  thus  a beginning  was 
made  in  the  conversion  of  a few  in  the  North,  who 
themselves  became  ev^angelists  and  carried  the  news 
further.  This  opening  was  sought  by  Mr.  Ross  him- 
self. In  1873  he  visited  the  frontier  town  to  secure  a 
teacher.  Later  he  succeeded  in  this.  His  work  showed 
itself  in  the  translation  of  the  New  Testament  with  the 
aid  of  his  colleague,  Mr.  MacIntyre.  A Korean  was 
found  who  could  set  type,  and  he  was  employed  to  do 
this.  Mr.  Ross  was  surprised  and  delighted  to  find  that 
over  the  types  this  mau  had  imbibed  the  truths  of 
Christianity  and  had  become  a follower  of  the  Master. 
Soon  his  place  was  supplied  by  another,  more  apt  in 
typesetting,  while  the  former  printer  was  instructed 


294 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


aud  became  a colporteur,  carrying  tlie  Gospel  of  St. 
Luke  in  the  vernacular.  Mr.  Ross  found  means  of 
sending  out  colporteurs,  aud  soon  came  the  news  that 
a minister  was  wanted  to  baptize  the  converts.  Mr. 
Ross  was  soon  able  to  travel  in  the  country  himself, 
and  found  that  Protestant  Christianity  had  gained  a 
foothold. 

This  was  prior  to  the  actual  occupation  of  the  country 
as  a missionary  field,  which  took  place  in  1884,  when 
Dr.  Allen  was  ordered  from  China  to  the  capital  by  the 
Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
of  the  United  States  of  America.  It  should  be  premised 
here  that  every  one  of  the  ministers  from  the  United 
States  to  the  court  of  Korea  has  construed  the  treaty 
between  the  two  countries  to  mean  that  the  work  of 
teaching  aud  preaching  Christianity  is  not  allowed.  It 
provides  that  men  may  live  in  the  capital  for  the  pur- 
pose of  studying  the  language,  and  it  is  under  cover  of 
this  provision  that  missionaries  are  now  resident  in  the 
country. 

Dr.  Allen  was  not  known  at  first  as  a missionary. 
He  went  ostensibly  to  practice  his  profession  as  a phy- 
sician. Even  to  General  Foote,  at  that  time  minister 
resident  from  the  United  States,  his  standing  as  a mis- 
sionary was  at  first  unknown.  He  was  appointed  phy- 
sician to  the  American  legation,  a position  which  gave 
him  standing  before  the  Korean  government.  The  un- 
fortunate emeute  of  1884,  and  the  attack  upon  Min 


MISSIONARY  WORK. 


295 


Youg  Ik,  next  to  the  king  the  most  prominent  person 
in  the  kingdom,  by  giving  Dr.  Allen  an  opportunity  to 
display  the  skill  of  Western  medical  science,  opened  the 
way  for  more  direct  mission  work.  His  success  in 
bringing  Min  Youg  Ik  through  his  illness  led  to  his 
being  asked  to  prescribe  for  the  king  and  other  mem- 
bers of  the  royal  family.  Success  attended  him  here. 
He  was  consulted  in  other  matters,  and  his  conservatism 
and  the  common  sense  of  his  advice  gained  for  him  the 
entire  confidence  of  the  king,  so  that  when  the  latter 
sent  an  embassy  to  the  United  States,  Dr.  Allen  was 
made  foreign  secretary,  and  thus  became  the  escort  of 
the  embassy. 

In  a conversation  with  the  king,  some  time  after  the 
emeute,  the  work  of  the  hospitals  in  the  Western  lauds 
was  brought  to  his  attention,  and  the  description  the 
doctor  gave  of  their  operation  and  benefits  interested 
the  king  so  much  that  he  suggested,  or  acted  upon  the 
suggestion  of  Dr.  Allen,  that  one  be  established  in  the 
capital.  This  was  warmly  welcomed  by  Dr.  Allen,  and 
buildings  were  set  apart  for  the  purpose,  a certain  sum 
was  devoted  to  its  maintenance  and  Dr.  Allen  became 
the  head  of  it,  while  mandarins  were  detailed  to  look 
after  its  management  and  servants  were  aj>poiuted  for 
doing  the  necessary  work.  Dr.  Allen,  by  his  shrewd- 
ness and  conservatism,  had  thus  opened  the  way  for  the 
working  of  missionaries  in  a land  which  a little  over 
two  years  before  had  been  sealed  against  them. 


296 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


The  field  thus  early  occupied  by  the  Board  of  For- 
eign Missions  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  soon  showed 
the  need  for  more  workers,  and  the  next  year  Dr.  John 
Heron,  a physician  of  great  promise  and  devoted  at- 
tachment to  the  cause  of  Christ,  along  with  his  bride, 
was  detailed  to  assist  Dr.  Allen  in  the  work  of  medi- 
cal missions  at  the  capital,  and  in  the  same  year  the 
Bev.  Horace  G.  Underwood  was  sent  out  as  a clerical 
aid.  These  two  men  threw  themselves  into  the  labor 
with  great  zeal  and  much  discretion.  Dr.  Heron  im- 
mediately took  up  the  work  at  the  hospital,  and  soon 
became  renowned  among  the  natives  for  the  marvels  of 
healing  he  effected.  His  surgical  knowledge  and  suc- 
cess in  such  operations  as  the  removal  of  cataracts  in- 
creased the  reputation  for  cleverness  which  foreigners 
already  had,  and  made  more  honorable  the  position  of 
such  foreigners  as  should  afterward  come. 

Mr.  Underwood  while  in  Japan  had  been  under  the 
tuition  of  some  Korean  scholars  whom  he  met  there, 
and  he  made  such  rapid  progress  in  the  acquirement  of 
the  language  as  very  soon  to  attract  the  attention  of  the 
king,  who  offered  him  the  position  of  court  interpreter. 
But  Mr.  Underwood  had  gone  out  to  do  missionary 
work,  and  while  his  opportunities  for  gaining  influence 
at  the  palace  might  have  been  enlarged,  such  a position 
would  have  in  great  measure  precluded  participation  in 
active  missionary  enterprise,  so  he  declined  the  proffered 
position.  At  the  hospital  a school  had  been  started  with 


MISSIOiXAEV  WORK. 


297 


the  object  of  giving  some  Koreans  a medical  education. 
They  were  to  be  instructed  in  English,  and  Mr.  Under- 
wood was  soon  at  work  giving  young  men  instruction  in 
that  language.  It  was  not  long  afterward  that  this  gen- 
tleman commenced  a course  of  instruction  in  physics  in 
the  vernacular,  which  serves  to  show  the  command  he 
had  so  quickly  gained  over  the  Korean  language.  But 
Mr.  Underwood’s  efforts  were  not  confined  to  this  de- 
partment of  labor.  The  needs  of  some  boys  with 
whom  he  had  come  into  contact  suggested  to  him  the 
establishing  of  an  orphanage,  and  he  mentioned  this  to 
some  Koreans  of  high  rank,  through  whom  knowledge 
of  the  project  came  to  the  king,  and  the  latter  gave  it 
his  sanction.  The  suggestion  was  approved  of  by  the 
Board  of  Missions  at  home,  and  the  orphanage  became 
a fact.  At  first,  owing  to  the  absence  of  female  mis- 
sionaries to  whom  work  among  girls  could  be  com- 
mitted, the  only  inmates  admitted  were  boys,  and  be- 
fore long  there  were  over  forty  of  these  who  were 
lodged,  boarded  and  taught  in  the  institution.  The 
studies  included,  first,  the  vernacular,  under  a compe- 
tent native  scholar;  second,  the  Chinese  written  lan- 
guage, also  under  a native  instructor,  for  the  aim  is 
to  turn  out  scholars  who  will  in  native  lore  be  the 
peers  of  any  in  the  kingdom ; third,  the  English  lan- 
guage, and  with  this,  as  the  scholars  grow  old  enough  to 
profit  by  it,  instruction  is  to  be  given  in  science ; fourth^ 
moral  and  religious  instruction  is  given,  with  Chris- 


298 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


tiaiiity  as  its  basis.  Only  those  who  have  entered  into 
the  work  of  instruction,  and  those  who  know  how  keen 
among  the  men  in  power  is  the  desire  for  educated 
Koreans  to  enter  the  government  service,  will  be  able 
to  appreciate  the  hold  upon  the  kingdom  of  Korea  the 
establishment  of  this  orphanage  has  given  to  Christians. 
When,  on  the  one  side,  it  is  stated  that  the  king  knows 
of  the  progress  made  by  scholars  in  the  school,  that  he 
is  watching  in  advance  the  steps  they  are  making,  that 
he  has  already  signified  his  desire  that  the  oldest  and 
most  advanced  scholars,  two  in  number,  shall  enter  his 
service ; and  when,  on  the  other  side,  it  is  realized  that 
in  all  probability  there  will  go  from  that  orphanage 
young  men  who  will  be  the  peers,  in  Korean  and  Chinese 
learning,  of  any  they  will  meet,  and  in  addition  to  this 
will  have  a fair  knowledge  of  Western  science,  will  have 
habits  of  order  and  instincts  of  civilization  above  the 
average  of  their  race,  and,  more  than  all,  minds  steeped 
in  the  love  of  their  Saviour, — it  can  be  seen  that  no 
work  is  carried  on  in  Seoul  which  gives  promise  of 
larger  results  to  Christianity  than  that  done  at  the 
orphanage. 

In  1886,  the  year  in  which  the  American  teachers^’ 
went  out  to  establish  a royal  school  under  a contract  with 
the  government,  the  Presbyterian  Board  sent  out  Miss 
Dr.  Annie  Ellers  to  act  as  the  queen’s  physician  and  to 
do  duty  in  the  woman’s  department  of  the  hospital.  She 
was  relieved,  a year  and  a half  later,  by  Miss  Dr.  Lillian 


MISSIONARY  WORK. 


299 


Horton,  a skilled  and  talented  physician,  to  whom  the 
needs  of  Korea  as  a missionary  field  had  appealed  with 
great  force.  Miss  Ellers,  who  meantime  had  become 
the  wife  of  the  Rev.  D.  A.  Bunker,  one  of  the  Amer- 
ican teachers,^’  and  consequently  had  been  relieved  of 
her  work  at  the  palace  and  hospital,  notwithstanding 
that  she  had  severed  her  connection  with  the  mission, 
commenced  the  work  of  forming  a girls’  school  in  con- 
nection with  the  orphanage.  She  has  since  been  com- 
pelled by  ill  health  to  give  up  this  gratuitous  mission 
work,  but,  fortunately,  the  Presbyterian  Board  has  now 
on  the  field  ladies  who  can  devote  their  energies  to  this 
work  and  to  efforts  among  the  w’omen  of  the  capital. 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  foregoing  that  through  both 
Mr.  Ross  and  Dr.  Allen  the  Presbyterians  had  been  the 
first  to  enter  the  field.  Through  Dr.  Allen’s  prestige 
at  the  court,  maintained  so  well  by  Dr.  Heron  after  the 
former’s  appointment  on  the  embassy,  a sort  of  quasi- 
recognition of  the  work  of  the  missionaries,  at  least  so 
far  as  eleemosynary  work  was  concerned,  had  been 
gained  from  the  government.  Work  had  been  begun 
under  the  most  favorable  auspices.  But  the  Presby- 
terians had  not  very  much  the  start  of  the  next  to  enter 
the  field,  the  Board  of  Missions  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  of  the  United  States  of  America.  Early 
in  1885,  Dr.  Scranton,  a physician  of  undoubted  skill, 
accomjianied  by  his  wife.  Dr.  Scranton’s  mother,  Mrs. 
i\I.  F.  Scranton,  a most  devoted  lady,  who  brought  to 


300 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


the  field  not  only  a determination  to  work  for  the 
women  of  Korea,  but  also  means  of  her  own  to  aid 
her  in  her  efforts,  and  the  Kev.  H.  G.  Appeuzeller 
and  wife,  were  on  their  way  to  open  work  under  direc- 
tion of  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  missionary  socie- 
ties. One  of  Dr.  Scran ton^s  first  cares  was  the  estab- 
lishment of  a private  hospital — private  in  the  sense  that 
it  was  not  under  government  supervision — and  soon 
he  was  hard  at  work  healing  the  diseases  of  many 
who  came  to  seek  relief  at  his  hands.  Meanwhile, 
Mr.  Appeuzeller  had  opened  a school  where  he  daily 
gave  lessons  in  English,  not  neglecting  the  weighty 
matter  of  giving  religious  instruction.  Mrs.  Scranton 
built  a large  house  in  native  style,  and  in  a short  time 
she  had  around  her  a class  of  interesting  girls,  whom 
it  is  her  care  to  train  up  as  Christian  women.  It  should 
be  said  here  that  it  is  not  the  purpose  of  these  girls’ 
schools  to  train  the  inmates  in  such  a way  as  to  unfit 
them  for  their  station  in  their  own  society.  The  aim 
is  to  develop  them  in  such  ways  as  to  make  them 
model  housewives  under  the  conditions  in  which  they 
must  pass  their  lives,  and  to  make  them  missionaries 
of  the  Cross  among  their  relatives  and  associates. 
These  pioneers  were  cheered,  as  the  years  went  by,  by 
the  coming  of  other  helpers  sent  by  the  home  boards. 
For  several  years  these  were  the  only  Protestant  denomi- 
nations represented.  But  within  the  last  two  years  the 
Canadian  Presbyterian  Church  has  sent  out  a helper 


MISSIONARY  WORK. 


301 


who  was  most  gratefully  received  and  cordially  wel- 
comed by  those  on  the  ground,  and  the  South  Aus- 
tralian colonies  have  also  sent  valuable  men,  who  are 
co-operating  with  the  Presbyterian  mission  already  es- 
tablished. Within  a year  the  English  Church  has 
opened  a mission,  and  is  now  represented  by  a mis- 
sionary bishop  and  other  helpers.  Of  what  they  have 
done  we  shall  speak  later. 

We  must  now  consider  under  what  limitations  the 
missionaries  may  work.  This  is  a difficult  subject,  and 
it  must  be  allowed  that  there  is  no  agreement  on  this 
point,  even  among  the  men  on  the  field.  The  position 
of  the  government  and  the  governing  class  is  peculiar. 
There  is  no  open  government  sanction  for  proselyting, 
that  is,  for  the  active  work  of  evangelization.  The 
treaty  with  the  American  government  does  not  permit  it, 
nor  do  the  treaties  with  other  nations.  This,  as  already 
stated,  is  the  consensus  of  opinion  of  all  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  United  States  government  in  Korea. 
Furthermore,  the  government  has  on  one  or  two  occa- 
sions sent  communications  to  the  minister  resident  of 
the  United  States,  asking  him  to  cause  the  cessation  of 
efforts  at  evangelizing  then  in  progress  under  the  mis- 
sionaries from  America.  But  there  must  be  placed 
alongside  of  this  the  fact  that  the  king  has  undoubted- 
ly known  all  along  what  was  the  purpose  of  mission- 
aries in  coming,  and  that  they  were  carrying  out  that 
purpose.  We  must  also  take  cognizance  of  the  fact 


302 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


that  the  protests  made  to  the  United  States  minister 
were  made  at  times  of  political  excitement,  when  such 
evangelistic  efforts  were  fraught  with  peril  to  mission- 
aries and  to  converts,  and  might  have  contributed  to  a 
revolt  against  the  government.  The  truth  is,  therefore, 
that  the  government  has  winked  at  the  prosecution  of 
the  missionaries’  labors.  No  open  preaching  is  per- 
mitted. Even  teaching  is  prohibited.  Therefore  the 
missionaries  do  not  carry  on  aggressive  warfare  in  the 
sense  of  approaching  people  with  a view  to  converting 
them.  Evangelistic  work  is  done,  fii*st,  by  means  of 
the  distribution  and  sale  of  books — the  Bible  in  Chinese, 
the  Gospel  of  Mark  as  revised  by  the  missionaries  in 
Seoul,  and  such  tracts  and  translations  as  are  from  time 
to  time  prepared ; secondly,  by  conversation  with  such 
as  come  to  the  missionaries  for  instruction  ; and  thirdly, 
through  native  converts  who  act  as  colporteurs  and 
local  preachers,”  spreading  the  good  news  among 
their  intimates  and  bringing  the  knowledge  of  the 
Saviour  to  their  acquaintances.  Of  course  all  this  is 
in  contravention  of  the  letter  of  the  law.  The  mis- 
sionaries have  therefore  to  face  this  problem  of  the 
observance  of  the  letter  of  the  law,  which  means  com- 
plete quiescence  so  far  as  active  evangelization  is  con- 
cerned, or  of  acting  contrary  to  the  law  of  the  land  and 
the  construction  placed  on  the  treaty  by  our  ministers 
to  the  court  of  Korea.  It  is  a hard  position  in  which 
to  be  placed. 


MISSIONARY  WORK. 


303 


Men  are  coming  to  the  missionaries  asking  to  be 
taught  about  Jesus.  People  who  have  read  the  Bible 
and  have  been  led  to  believe  its  truths  beg  to  be  cate- 
chized, and  if  found  ready  they  desire  to  be  baptized. 
And  all  this  is  not  in  consequence  of  personal  solici- 
tation on  the  part  of  the  propagators  of  Christianity, 
but  because  of  their  own  insight  into  their  needs  and 
their  conviction  that  satisfaction  has  been  made  for  them 
by  Christ.  Shall  the  missionaries  refuse  to  teach  these 
“ seekers  after  God,’^  who  come  with  pleading  faces  and 
anxious  hearts  to  get  ease  for  awakened  consciences? 
shall  they  turn  them  away  unsatisfied  ? The  mission- 
aries say,  “No.  We  wdll  avoid  all  ostentatious  display. 
We  will  not  invite  the  public  to  witness  the  confession 
of  believers.  No  daring  challenge  shall  be  flouted  in 
the  face  of  the  authorities.  They  know  of  our  work. 
They  wink  at  it  in  all  times  of  quiet.  They  are  will- 
ing to  employ  men  who  are  known  to  be  Christian 
ministers  to  teach  in  their  schools,  and  missionaries  to 
serve  in  their  hospitals.  And  we  believe  that  the  pres- 
ent rulers  are  not  much  concerned  at  the  proselyting  of 
Koreans  to  the  Christian  faith.” 

The  missionaries  have  good  grounds  for  this  reason- 
ing. Part  of  these  grounds  we  have  already  given ; a 
part  is  still  to  be  mentioned.  Reference  has  been  made 
to  the  school  and  hospital  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
mission.  It  should  be  stated  here  that  institutions 
which  have  the  sanction  of  the  government  are  al- 


304 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


lowed  to  place  over  their  entrances  large  boards  bear- 
ing a title  in  Chinese,  which  title  applies  to  the  insti- 
tution. It  is  known  that  in  Mr.  Appenzeller’s  school 
more  or  less  of  the  distinctive  doctrines  of  Christianity 
are  taught,  yet  by  governmental  sanction  titles  were 
placed  over  the  entrance  of  the  school  as  well  as  over 
the  door  of  the  hospital.  That  the  situation  may  be 
more  definitely  understood,  it  must  still  further  be  re- 
membered that  the  attitude  of  the  government  toward 
Christianity  differs  from  that  of  Japan.  In  Japan  the 
government  is  entirely  indifferent.  It  has  withdrawn 
support  alike  from  Buddhist  and  Shinto  temples.  It 
pays  no  subsidies  for  the  maintenance  of  a national  re- 
ligion. It  goes  further,  and  utilizes  Christian  mission- 
aries as  educators  by  requiring  them  to  teach  in  the 
schools  a certain  number  of  hours  iu  return  for  the 
privilege  of  living  outside  the  treaty  ports.  It  even 
grants  permission  to  these  missionary  teachers  to  use 
as  text-books  works  distinctively  Christian.  Its  atti- 
tude is,  So  you  teach,  we  don’t  care  even  if  you  teach 
Christianity  and  make  converts.”  No  such  opportunity 
as  this  is  given  in  Korea.  The  Christian  religion  is 
nominally  under  the  ban,  but,  practically,  missionaries 
may  do  religious  work  as  long  as  the  attention  of  the 
government  is  not  directed  to  their  operations  or  politi- 
cal complications  do  not  arise  to  compel  a protest. 

What,  then,  has  been  the  result  of  direct  missionary 
labor  at  the  capital  and  in  the  provinces?  Efforts  have 


MISSION ABY  WORK. 


305 


so  far  been  directed  almost  solely  to  Seoul  and  along 
the  line  of  the  great  highway  to  China  from  the  cap- 
ital. Not  much  has  been  done  south  of  the  capital, 
except  that  one  man  was  for  a short  time  at  Fusau. 
(The  English  bishop  has  also  opened  a station  there.) 
Owing  to  Mr.  Rosses  efforts  much  has  been  done  to 
pave  the  way  in  the  North.  Much  preliminary  work 
had  been  accomplished.  The  gospel  was  not  entirely 
a novelty.  Seed  had  been  sown,  and  all  that  was 
needed  was  watering  and  cultivation,  so  attention  was 
given  to  this  part  of  the  kingdom  first,  especially  since 
the  force  was  so  small  that  concentration  and  not  dif- 
fusion of  energy  was  a necessity.  In  July,  1886,  the 
writer  was  present  at  the  baptism  of  the  first  convert 
to  Christianity  resulting  from  the  work  of  the  mission- 
aries at  the  capital.  The  baptism  took  place  in  the 
house  of  one  of  the  missionaries.  No  other  Koreans 
were  present.  Care  was  taken  lest  any  of  the  servants 
or  native  callers  should  intrude  upon  the  service,  and 
thus  endanger  the  secrecy  of  the  administration.  No 
one  knew  what  might  be  the  result  to  the  convert  or  to 
the  mission  should  knowledge  of  the  baptisrn  of  this 
person  reach  the  government.  All  present  realized 
the  danger,  and  the  ceremony  was  a very  solemn  one. 
For  weeks,  when  an  official  called  ou  the  missionary, 
complaint  of  the  deed  was  anticipated  and  dreaded. 
But  time  passed  on  with  no  serious  consequences  to  the 

convert  and  no  reproach  of  the  missionaries.  Other 
20 


306 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


converts  were  found  and  were  baptized.  * Reasonable 
care  was  always  taken  that  the  assemblies  should  not 
be  broken  in  upon  by  chance  visits  of  officials  or  others 
•who  are  fond  of  calling  on  • foreigners. 

By  and  by  the  workers  grew  bolder.  Mr.  Under- 
wood translated  into  Korean  in  the  same  meters  such 
hymns  as  ‘‘  Nearer,  my  God,  to  thee,”  and  taught  the 
foreign  airs  to  the  Kor^TO  &pd  soon  the  meetings  of 
Koreans  for  Bible  instruc^^Lj^r  prayer  and  confer- 
ence • were  marked  by  lusty  which  could  be 

heal'd  from  the  street. 

-The  speedy  development  of  the  seea^ffiUL  had  been 


sown  was  very  encouraging  to  the  workers 


They 


remembered  that  in  Japan  it  cost  twelve  years  of  weary 
toiling  before  the  first-fruits  of  the  now  abundant  har- 


vest were  reached.  That  less  than  two  years  of  labor 
should  develop  in  this  way,  even  the  great  faith  of  the 
missionaries  had  not  anticipated.  Progress  from  this 
point  on  was  rapid.  In  two  years  more  from  that 
time  the  author  baptized  two  men,  who  were  the  sixty- 
fifth  and  sixty-sixth  converts  in  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
while  between  Seoul  and  the  northern  boundary  a hun- 
dred others  were  waiting  to  be  catecliized  and  baptized ! 

. I From  what  has  been  written  by  tourists,  and  even  by 
residents  in  the  East,  it  has  been  inferred  that  the  so- 
called  converts  are  not  sincere — that  there  is  some  ul- 
terior motive  for  their  pretended  ” acceptance  of  Chris- 
tianity. Especially  from  China  has  the  statement  come 


Scene  in  Old  Palace  Grounds.  Page  307, 


MISSIONARY  WORK. 


307 


that  it  is  doubtful  whether  there  is  a single  case  of  gen- 
uine conversion,  and  that  in  each  instance  the  motive  for 
professing  Christianity  could  be  found  in  the  hope  that 
the  convert  might  be  employed  in  a missionary’s  house- 
hold or  in  that  of  some  other  foreigner,  or  else  be  en- 
gaged as  a colporteur.  In  other  words,  according  to 
these  cavilers  Chinese  converts  are  hypocritical  and 
purely  mercenary.  As  to  the  Chinese  converts,  the 
charges  have  been  indignantly  denied  and  apparently 
refuted  by  the  missionaries  in  China.  Doubtless  the 
same  charge  will  be  made  as  to  the  converts  in  Korea. 
This  one  instance,  therefore,  may  be  cited  in  advance : 
In  the  summer  of  1888  there  was  considerable  excite- 
ment stirred  up  in  the  capital  by  injudicious  action  on 
the  part  of  the  E-omish  missionaries  there.  This  smoul- 
dering discontent  was  fanned  into  a flame  by  the  Chinese 
resident  ” at  Seoul.  Incipient  riots  took  place.  The 
government  requested,  through  the  United  States  lega- 
tion, that  the  teaching  of  Christianity  should  cease.  At 
this  time  Mr.  Underwood  was  in  the  North,  having  gone 
with  the  purpose  of  catechizing  and  baptizing  such  con- 
verts as  should  meet  him.  He  was  hastily  summoned 
back  by  a messenger  to  the  capital.  When  the  mes- 
sage found  him  he  was  at  a meeting  where  some  twenty- 
two  or  twenty-three  men  were  gathered  for  the  purpose 
of  confessing  their  faith  in  Christ.  To  them  he  told  the 
news,  adding  that  there  was  evidently  some  danger  to  be 
apprehended  by  those  who  should  be  found  to  be  Chris- 


308 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


tians.  Only  two  of  the  company  withdrew,  the  rest 
declaring  that  they  would  assume  the  risk,  even  though 
it  were  of  death.  If  we  remember  that  only  a few 
years  before  there  had  been  a persecution  of  the  Roman- 
ist converts,  when  it  was  estimated  that  over  twenty 
thousand  perished,  we  see  that  the  danger  of  being  a 
Christian  was  not  without  foundation.  In  fact,  each 
convert  takes  his  life  in  his  hands  when  he  confesses 
to  being  a Christian.  The  character  of  the  converts 
can  be  gathered  from  the  foregoing  statement. 

Mercenary  motives  cannot  be  ascribed.  Thus  far, 
among  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  only  one 
has  been  disciplined  or  reproved  for  displaying  motives 
at  variance  with  those  of  a sincere  Christian.  The  char- 
acter of  the  converts  has  been  good.  Even  among  their 
own  people  the  effect  of  their  life  has  been  noted,  and 
magistrates  have  remarked  on  the  salutary  effect  of  the 
teachings  of  Jesus  on  the  life  of  his  followers.  At  least 
two,  most  likely  more,  native  churches  have  been  or- 
ganized in  the  Presbyterian  communion.  Of  course 
much  has  been  done  among  the  Methodists,  and  they 
have  their  organizations.  The  result  is  that  Protestant 
Christianity  is  on  its  feet  in  the  peninsula.  A grand 
and  promising  beginning  has  been  made,  and  most 
speedy  returns  are  looked  for  by  the  workers.  In 
1888  the  increase  was  five-fold. 

A question  that  doubtless  occurs  to  the  reader  is  as  to 
the  personal  hazard  of  converts.  Only  a provisional 


MISSIONARY  WORK. 


309 


answer  can  be  returned  to  that.  While  the  mission- 
aries, as  foreigners,  are  not  subject  to  the  Korean  gov- 
ernment, and  in  case  of  offence  are  tried  by  their  con- 
suls, native  converts  are  subject  to  the  laws  of  the 
Korean  government.  A persecution  under  those  laws 
is  at  no  time  an  impossibility.  So  long  as  Confucianism 
is  the  State  religion,  and  the  tenets  of  that  religion  are  a 
legal  obligation  on  the  people,  the  door  is  open  for  the 
approach  of  a trial  of  faith  by  fire  and  sword.  Were 
such  to  occur,  the  missionaries  and  other  foreigners  could 
wield  no  legal  weapon  to  stop  it.  While  they  have  in 
isolated  cases  so  brought  influence  to  bear  on  officials  as 
to  release  from  prison  and  punishment  persons  charged 
with  misdemeanors,  the  nature  of  the  causes  giving  rise 
to  a religious  oppression  would  prevent  any  effective  in- 
terference to  avert  it.  In  anything  which  concerns  the 
conduct  of  internal  affairs  Koreans  would  brook  no  in- 
terference. Extra-territoriality  ensures  the  safety  of  the 
missionaries,  but  adds  nothing  to  the  security  of  the  con- 
verts. We  can  judge  of  the  possibility  of  persecutions 
in  the  future  only  by  noting  the  causes  of  their  occur- 
rence in  the  past.  Romanists  have  been  in  the  country 
for  over  a hundred  years.  During  that  time  they  have 
had  to  sustain  several  severe  trials.  The  last  one,  as 
late  as  1868,  is  estimated  to  have  cost  the  death  of 
nearly  twenty-five  thousand  converts.  The  machinery 
which  wrought  such  destruction  is  still  in  existence. 
The  only  question,  then,  is  as  to  the  occasion  to  put 


310 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


it  into  action  or  the  disposition  to  use  it.  From  the 
facts  given  above,  as  to  the  feeling  of  the  government 
toward  Christianity,  it  can  be  seen  that  there  is  no  dis- 
position among  the  authorities  to  precipitate  a massacre 
of  Christians  or  a suppression  of  Christianity.  While 
officials  and  the  government  know  of  proselyting,  and 
may  even  be  informed  of  individual  cases  of  conversion, 
only  in  one  or  two  cases  has  official  notice  been  taken 
of  the  work  of  the  missionaries.  This  was  when  the 
ill-advised  action  of  the  Romanists  caused  a hard  feel- 
ing among  the  courtiers  and  in  the  palace,  in  1888. 
Then  a request  was  sent  to  the  American  minister  that, 
in  accordance  with  the  treaty,  there  should  be  no  teach- 
ing of  Christianity.  Our  minister  felt  constrained  to 
comply  with  the  request,  and  sent  a note  to  the  Amer- 
ican missionaries,  informing  them  of  the  request  and 
intimating  that  non-compliance  with  the  terms  of  the 
treaty  would  forfeit  the  protection  of  the  American  flag. 
This  was  what  was  called  the  check  ’’  in  Korea.  Some 
of  the  missionaries  considered  it  wisest  to  heed  the  warn- 
ing, and,  while  not  absolutely  stopping  work,  let  their 
teaching  be  more  quiet,  their  work  less  ostentatious. 
But  the  excitement  passed  away,  and  before  long  the 
missionaries  were  greeting  each  other  in  the  street  and 
laughing  about  “ the  check  ’’  as  they  interchanged  the 
news  of  increase  in  the  number  of  converts.  They 
wrote  to  the  papers  at  home  deprecating  the  statement 
that  there  had  been  any  stoppage  in  the  work.  There 


MISSIONARY  WORK. 


311 


were,  however,  those  who,  apart  from  the  field,  and  not 
prejudiced  by  a too  close  and  narrow  vision,  saw  that 
the  check  was  an  intimation  of  what  might  easily 
occur.  They  realized  that  with  level-headed  men 
working  cautiously,  laying  stress  on  the  healing  art 
and  on  educational  advantages  practiced  and  given  by 
Christians,  Christianity  could  under  cover  of  these  be 
making  real  advance  even  in  the  work  of  evangeliza- 
tion. The  more  thoughtful  among  the  missionaries 
believed  that  no  challenge  should  be  shaken  in  the 
face  of  the  government,  and  that,  so  far  as  possible, 
official  attention  should  be  directed  away  from  their 
operations.  In  fact,  the  government  is  very  much  in 
the  position  of  the  municipal  policeman  on  the  Fourth 
of  July  : a pack  of  fire-crackei’s  may  be  fizzing  around 
the  corner,  and  the  course  of  his  beat  will  take  him 
in  another  direction  ; but  if  a hardy  urchin  explodes  a 
fire-cracker  under  the  policeman’s  nose,  the  latter’s  duty 
requires  the  arrest  of  the  foolhardy  boy.  So,  as  Chris- 
tianity seems  to  have  wrought  no  harm  in  the  kingdom, 
as  Protestant  missionaries  have  wrought  only  beneficent 
deeds,  as  they  work  quietly  and  even  minister  to  the 
needs  of  the  government  in  turning  out  scholars  fitted 
to  perform  important  duties,  these  missionaries  have 
been  unmolested.  Even  officials  have  commended  the 
Christianity  that  produces  kindly  deeds  and  a bettered 
life.  But  a single  injudicious  action,  or  even  one  to 
which  that  adjective  could  not  be  applied,  in  a time  of 


312 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


political  excitement  or  popular  foment  might  precipitate 
a conflict  which  could  result  only  in  the  extermination 
of  Christianity. 

The  conclusion  therefore,  is  that  it  is  not  a safe  thing 
for  a man  to  become  a Christian  in  Korea.  Danger 
does  exist,  but  under  ordinary  conditions  the  peril  is 
not  a very  lively  one.  Conservative  action  and  unos- 
tentatious endeavor  are  the  desiderata  of  the  situation, 
and  the  longer  such  a line  of  action  is  persevered  in 
and  the  greater  the  lapse  of  time  since  the  last  persecu- 
tion, the  more  secure  are  the  converts  and  the  less  is  the 
imminence  of  an  outbreak  against  them.  This  may  be 
illustrated  by  the  action  of  the  officials  connected  with 
our  school.  It  had  unwisely  been  announced  to  the 
king  that  the  teachers  nominated  by  the  American 
government  were  clergymen.  Naturally,  the  officials 
were  very  suspicious,  and  it  was  perhaps  anticipated 
that  we  would  endeavor  to  use  our  vantage-ground  in 
favor  of  the  Christian  religion.  The  consequence  was 
that  for  over  three  months  at  least  one  official — a presi- 
dent or  secretary  of  the  board  of  education — was  always 
in  the  school.  We  had,  however,  gauged  the  situation. 
The  conclusion  had  been  reached  that  if  our  school  was 
to  be  a factor  in  the  evangelization  of  the  kingdom, 
nothing  must  be  done  to  antagonize  the  people  at  the 
outset.  We  were  in  the  employ  of  the  government. 
Our  personal  lives,  not  our  tongues,  must  tell  the  tale 
of  Christ.  We  must  not  frighten  away  those  who 


3IISSI0NARY  WORK 


313 


might  be  benefited,  perhaps  eventually  led  to  the 
Saviour,  by  us.  We  were  therefore  exceedingly  cau- 
tious. We  allowed  no  expression  condemnatory  of 
the  customs  of  the  country,  so  far  as  they  were  hon- 
orable, to  escape  us.  We  preached  and  practiced  the 
doctrine  that  work  is  no  disgrace.  We  discarded  in 
our  text-books  any  references  to  Christianity  as  a special 
religion.  The  consequence  was  that  soon  after  the  first 
quarter  was  ended  we  were  left  alone  with  our  scholars. 
A visit  for  a few  minutes  each  day  was  the  limit  of 
supervision  exercised.  Soon  even  these  visits  were 
omitted,  and  finally  official  visits  were  a rarity  and 
an  honor.  We  soon  found  that  a reference  to  Christ 
was  not  offensive  to  the  scholars.  The  name  of  God 
ceased  to  canse  any  remark  or  expressive  glances  be- 
tween the  scholars,  and  more  than  once  a discussion  was 
broached  and  invited  by  the  scholars  as  to  the  respective 
merits  of  Christianity  and  Confucianism.  There  is 
every  reason  to  believe  that  like  results  will  follow 
conservative  action  on  the  part  of  the  missionaries. 
While  their  centuries  of  hermitage  have  made  Koreans 
suspicions,  they  are  susceptible  to  honorable  treatment 
and  appreciative  of  a kind  regard  for  their  prejudices. 

One  subject  that  has  not  been  tonched  on  in  this 
chapter  is  the  work  among  the  women.  It  follows 
from  what  has  been  said  concerning  the  social  customs 
and  the  seclusion  of  the  women  that  colporteurs  and 
others  do  not  have  any  opportunities  of  reaching  them. 


314 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


Because  of  the  inaccessibility  to  male  missionaries  of  the 
mothers  and  wives  of  Koreans  lady  workers  are  a neces- 
sity. It  has  already  been  shown  that  in  Korea,  as  else- 
where, woman’s  influence  is  very  great.  If  a fair  be- 
ginning could  be  made  among  them,  eflects  would  be 
much  enlarged.  Romanists  have  gathered  very  large 
congregations  of  women.  These  have  proved  very 
zealous  and  very  earnest  workers.  The  seamstress  in 
our  own  family,  a Romanist  convert,  lost  no  oppor- 
tunity of  speaking  to  other  servants  of  the  blessings 
reaped  by  the  followers  of  Jesus.  Work  confined  to 
the  men  was  limited  in  its  scope.  It  could  not  eflec- 
tively  reach  the  children.  Before  they  could  come  under 
the  influence  of  Christianity  their  minds  had  become  set 
in  the  ways  of  Confucianism. 

The  Methodists  were  keenly  alive  to  this.  Mrs.  M. 
F.  Scranton  had  determined  to  make  that  her  specialty. 
She  was  aided  by  ladies  sent  on  by  women’s  auxiliary 
societies  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Mrs.  Dr. 
Scranton  lent  her  aid  as  household  duties  permitted.  Dr. 
Scranton  was  aided  by  a lady  who  took  up  the  work  for 
women  in  the  hospital.  For  the  Presbyterians  Miss 
Ellers  was  sent  out  to  act  as  physician  to  the  queen 
and  to  take  charge  of  the  women’s  department  of  the 
hos})ital  established  by  Dr.  Heron.  Mrs.  Allen  found 
her  household  cares  so  absorbing  that  no  time  was  left 
for  other  work.  Mrs.  Heron  made  eflbrts  to  take  a 
share  in  the  labor,  but  found  the  task  too  exacting  when 


MISSIONARY  WORK. 


315 


coupled  with  her  household  cares.  Miss  Dr.  Horton 
came  out  as  Miss  Ellers’  assistant.  She  found  an  ap- 
preciative aider  in  all  work  in  Mr.  Underwood,  and 
they  worked  together  so  cheerfully  and  well  that  she 
soon  changed  her  name  for  his.  Of  course  the  cares 
of  their  little  son  removed  her  after  a while  from  par- 
ticipation in  the  activities  of  mission  work,  and  now 
Miss  Hayden  is  left  with  Mrs.  Heron,  who,  since  her 
husband’s  death,  has  decided  to  stay  and  work  there, 
to  bear  the  burden  of  the  day.  When  this  is  written  no 
adequate  force  is  in  the  field.  And  yet  to  the  women 
confined  in  their  apartments,  with  only  the  narrowest 
views  of  life,  the  truths  of  the  Christian  religion,  the 
blessings  of  appreciation  and  the  hopes  of  happiness  it 
offers  appeal  with  marked  force. 

There  is  another  and  often  overlooked  factor  in  the 
evangelization  of  the  heathen,  which  applies  with  espe- 
cial force  to  Korea.  The  existence  of  this  fact  has  been 
made  a reproach  to  the  cause  of  missions  by  those  who 
wished  the  cause  no  good,  and  who  spoke  of  the  work 
only  to  carp  at  and  decry  it.  This  factor  is  the  material 
benefits  which  follow  in  the  train  of  Christianity.  The 
poverty  of  the  average  Korean  has  already  been  spoken 
of.  When  a man  is  asked  to  become  a Christian,  he 
naturally  asks  what  good  it  is  going  to  do — in  what 
respect  Christianity  is  superior  to  Confucianism  and 
Buddhism.  It  has  been  a very  effective  answer  to 
point  to  the  superior  comforts  which  Christians  enjoy. 


316 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


to  detail  the  advantages  of  a distinctively  Christian 
civilization  in  reply  to  these  questions.  Koreans  are 
fond  of  visiting  the  homes  of  foreigners.  They  ad- 
mire the  comforts — to  them  these  comforts  are  high- 
est of  luxuries — of  the  home  life  of  the  stranjjers. 
They  go  home  to  ponder  on  the  religion  which  takes 
hold  of  the  present  life  of  man  and  makes  it  more  en- 
joyable. They  mark  our  cheerful  faces  and  our  enjoy- 
ment of  life,  and  wonder  at  the  cause.  They  listen  to 
the  tales  of  the  achievements  of  Western  science.  The 
huge  cities,  the  wonderful  railroad,  the  marvelous  steam- 
boat, impress  them  with  a sense  of  the  lifting  power  of 
our  civilization.  When  they  realize  that  all  this  is  the 
outcome  and  development  of  our  religion,  the  practical 
value  of  Christianity  makes  a powerful  appeal  to  them. 
It  is  therefore  no  disscrace  that  our  missionaries  to  China 
live  sometimes  in  comfortable  homes.  The  fact  that  they 
do  so  appeals  to  the  Chinese  as  a reason  for  inquiring 
into  the  cause  of  their  ability  to  do  so.  The  case  is  the 
same  in  Korea,  and  the  Presbyterian  Board,  taking  into 
account  the  great  advantage  of  this  argument  and  the 
increased  cost  of  living  to  foreigners  in  that  country, 
has  wisely  raised  the  salaries  of  missionaries  to  that 
country.  Thus  the  latter  live  in  comparative  comfort. 
Their  incomes  do  not  permit  luxuries,  but  they  prevent 
starving,  and  the  effect  is  being  realized  in  the  willing- 
ness, nay  eagerness,  of  Koreans  in  high  position  to  visit 
and  be  on  intimate  terms  with  missionaries. 


Maiu  Entrance  to  Palace.  Page 


4 i 


MISSIONARY  WORK. 


817 


One  topic  more  requires  mention  here,  and  that  is 
the  need  of  the  missions  to  Korea.  The  Presbyterian 
Church  has  now  (since  the  death  of  Dr.  Heron  and  the 
entrance  of  Dr.  Allen  upon  new  duties  as  secretary  of 
the  American  legation  at  Seoul)  eight  missionaries  on 
the  field,  of  whom  three  ladies  are  married  and  conse- 
quently restricted  somewhat  in  their  opportunities  of 
furthering  the  cause  among  the  Koreans.  Three  are 
ordained,  and  are  bending  all  their  energies  to  the 
work  before  them.  Mr.  Underwood  has  prepared 
two  books  which  will  greatly  lengthen  the  productive 
period  of  every  missionary  who  goes  to  that  country 
— a grammar  or  manual  and  a dictionary  of  the  lan- 
guage. Besides  this,  he  has  worked  actively  in  the 
translation  of  hymns,  setting  them  to  meters  which 
admit  singing  the  translations  to  the  tunes  to  which 
they  are  sung  in  English  ; in  the  writing  of  tracts  and 
summaries  of  Christian  doctrine,  and  in  the  translation 
of  the  Shorter  Catechism. 

The  Methodist  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  is  repre- 
sented by  missionaries,  of  whom  two  are  physicians. 

Since  the  death  of  Dr.  Heron  and  the  retirement  of 
Dr.  Allen  from  the  work  of  the  mission  the  medical 
department  of  the  Presbyterian  station  at  Seoul  has  had 
to  languish.  Mrs.  Underwood  has  not  been  able  alone 
to  carry  it  on,  and  consequently  there  is  at  this  very 
time  a call  for  a man  who  is  a capable  physician  and 
an  earnest  Christian  to  take  up  a labor  which  has  been 


318 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL, 


developed  by  Drs.  Allen  and  Heron.  It  is  a field  where 
there  is  no  lack  of  congenial  and  cnltivated  companions, 
where  life  is  exceptionally  pleasant  and  where  the  de- 
voted physician  has  innumerable  opportunities  to  minis- 
ter not  only  to  bodies  suffering  from  the  ills  humanity 
is  heir  to,  but  also  to  minds  diseased  and  souls  sickened 
with  ignorance  and  guilt.  It  is  a field  where  but  few 
privations  will  be  felt,  and  though  earthly  riches  may 
not  be  laid  up,  an  abundant  and  comfortable  living  is 
assured.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  man  or  men  needed 
will  soon  be  pointed  out  and  the  needs  of  the  station  be 
filled.  The  Presbyterian  Board  is  willing  to  send  out 
clergymen  to  the  station  at  Seoul,  and  is  also  desirous 
of  extending  the  work  there ; but,  like  most  societies 
of  that  character,  it  finds  its  opportunities  limited  by 
lack  of  funds.  Were  the  means  provided,  the  great 
needs  of  the  station  might  easily  be  supplied.  Those 
needs  are,  first,  women  to  carry  on  work  among  the 
women.  This  worh  cannot  be  delegated  to  the  men. 
The  women  now  there  have  their  hands  full.  What 
time  is  left  after  household  duties  are  performed  is  not 
sufficient,  is  not  a tithe  of  what  is  actually  necessary  to 
accomplish  what  daily  offers  itself  to  be  done.  More 
women  at  the  front !’’  is  the  ringing  cry  for  Korea.  Sec- 
ondly, more  men  are  required  to  go  to  the  capital  and 
to  learn  the  language.  The  foregoing  pages  have 
attempted  to  show  that  the  conditions  are  becoming 
more  favorable  yearly  and  the  opportunities  for  work 


MISSIONARY  WORK. 


319 


larger  and  more  abundant.  Nor  need  it  be  feared  that 
the  men  sent  to  learn  the  language,  and  so  to  be  prepared 
to  seize  the  opportunities  as  they  come,  will  be  idlers 
and  non-producers  while  they  are  learning  Korean. 
There  is  sufficient  work  to  be  done  in  the  orphanage 
and  other  schools  to  employ  their  spare  time  and  di- 
versify their  occupations,  and  to  make  the  period  of 
their  study  of  the  language  productive  in  other  ways. 
The  need  of  all  mission  fields,  more  workers,”  is  an 
imperative  necessity  here.  This  is  shown  in  the  almost 
complete  cessation  of  medical  work,  a most  important 
factor  in  the  labor,  since  the  death  of  Dr.  Heron.  Had 
there  been  another  physician  at  the  station,  hospital 
work  need  not  have  ceased  w^hen  Dr.  Heron  was  re- 
moved and  Dr.  Powers  recalled.  Were  ill  health  or 
some  other  necessity  to  call  away  the  senior  missionary 
of  the  Presbyterian  Board  [he  has  since  been  called 
away],  the  other  members  would  find  their  powers 
strained  to  the  utmost  to  continue  the  work  as  now 
going  on.  There  is,  besides,  this  to  be  taken  into  ac- 
count: none  of  the  work  among  the  Mongolian  races 
has  shown  so  large  a return  for  the  money  and  labor 
expended  as  that  among  the  Koreans.  That  any  opening 
which  may  present  itself  should  have  to  be  lost  in  so 
promising  a country  is  a matter  not  only  for  profound 
sorrow,  but  even  for  shame.  One  other  need  the  educa- 
tional experience  of  the  writer  suggests  : Much  has  been 
said  of  the  orphanage  and  of  the  school  at  the  hospital. 


320 


KOREA  FROM  ITS  CAPITAL. 


The  gain  to  the  missionary  cause  from  these  institutions 
has  been  duly  set  forth.  In  these  schools  there  is  a great 
need  of  educational  equipment.  Maps  and  charts  for  the 
study  of  geography  and  history,  apparatus  for  the  illus- 
tration of  elementary  physics  and  chemistry,  a small 
telescope,  an  equipment  of  microscopes  and  similar  ap- 
paratus— in  short,  the  paraphernalia  of  laboratories — 
and  a small  observatory  would  not  only  add  to  the 
interest  of  the  scholars  and  the  definiteness  and  com- 
pleteness of  their  learning,  but  would  give  new  power  to 
the  organization  which  should  employ  them.  It  is  the 
intention  of  the  writer,  should  events  lead  him  to  return 
to  Korea  as  a missionary,  to  make  an  earnest  appeal  to 
Christian  educators  and  those  who  are  interested  in  the 
cause  not  only  of  Christian  missions  but  also  of  en- 
lightenment, for  such  an  equipment  of  these  schools  in 
apparatus  as  will  largely  increase  their  efficiency.  It 
would  be  an  investment  which  would  pay  large  divi- 
dends. That  the  Master  has  a large  harvest  to  be  reaped 
in  Cho  Son  is  not  only  the  hope  but  is  also  the  sure  con- 
viction of  the  writer. 

Note. — Since  writing  the  foregoing  an  incident  has  transpired 
■which  modifies  somewhat  the  conclusions  reached.  A Romish 
priest  living  in  a village  in  the  interior  (which,  according  to  treaty- 
stipulations,  was  not  legal,  since  residence  of  foreigners  without  pass- 
ports is  restricted  to  the  ports  and  the  capital)  was  driven  out  by  the 
local  mandarin  because  of  some  injudicious  act  on  the  part  of  the 
priest.  The  French  commissionaire,  knowing  Korea’s  timid  attitude, 
rudely  demanded  the  priest’s  return,  with  an  indemnity,  and  en- 


MISSIONARY  WORK. 


321 


deavored  to  have  the  mandarin  punished  (for  doing  his  duty).  The 
government  felt  its  inability  to  cope  with  France,  granted  the  former, 
but  firmly  refused  the  latter.  The  consequence  is  that  under  the 
“favored  nation”  clause  our  missionaries  might  claim  residence 
where  they  choose  in  the  interior.  It  is  undoubtedly  the  case  that 
if  such  settlements  be  made  quietly  and  Christian  work  be  done  unos- 
tentatiously, practically  the  whole  country  can  be  reached  by  Christian 
teaching  and  influences.  As  yet,  however,  we  have  not  workers 
enough  to  supply  fully  the  treaty  ports. 

21 


INDEX 


INDEX 


A. 

Agriculture,  203;  crudeness  of  meth- 
ods in,  204,  213;  products  of, 
209,  sqq.;  efforts  to  improve, 
244. 

Amusements,  158,  eqq. ; of  for- 
eigners, 281. 

Army,  instruction  in  the,  41. 

Art,  in  embroidery,  166,  219;  dearth 
of,  in  Korea,  215,  219. 

Autonomy  of  Korea,  250,  eqq. 


B. 

Bread-making,  151. 

Brothers,  rights  of  elder,  108. 
Buddhism,  not  popular,  188. 
Burial-places,  180,  eqq. 


C. 

Capital,  the,  44  eqq. ; position  and 
population,  44,  61 ; walls  of,  44 ; 
and  streets,  47 ; topography  of, 
48 ; and  quietness,  53. 

Children,  in  school,  159. 

China,  influence  of,  on  Korean  cult- 
ure, 64,  108;  conservatism  of, 
227 ; interference  of,  in  Korea, 
229,  239,  250,  252,  263. 


Cholera  in  Korea,  210,  279. 

Climate  of  Korea,  19. 

Clothing,  92,  133,  eqq. 

Coal,  abundance  of,  40,  200. 

Coins,  current,  223,  241. 

Confucianism,  dominant  in  Korea, 
187. 

Cooking,  151. 

Customs,  peculiar,  131. 

Customs  service,  38. 

D. 

Dancing,  178. 

Deaths,  customs  at,  182. 

Denny,  Judge  0.  N.,  on  the  inde- 
pendence of  Korea,  251,  258. 

Diet,  151,  209,  212. 

Diplomatic  ventures,  239. 

Diseases,  93,  210,  279. 

Dogs,  numbers  of,  55. 

E. 

Etiquette,  of  marriage,  102;  of  of- 
ficial intercourse,  114;  of  ordi- 
nary life,  115;  of  smoking,  117. 

Examinations  for  government  ap- 
pointments, 64;  the  contestants, 
67 ; severity  of,  68 ; by  proxy, 
70. 


325 


326 


INDEX, 


P. 

Fairs,  description  of,  128. 

Fans,  Tride  use  of,  116. 

Foot- ball,  163. 

Foreigners,  influence  of,  87,  112, 
113,*  life  of,  in  Korea,  266,  sqq. 

Foulk,  Lieutenant,  quoted,  37,  129. 

Fruits,  varieties  of,  205. 

Fuel,  123,  200. 

G. 

Game,  wild,  in  the  peninsula,  284. 

Games,  110,  158,  eqq.  See  also 
Amusements. 

Gold,  existence  of,  in  the  peninsula, 

202. 

Government,  the,  of  Korea,  22,  sqq. ; 
influenced  by  the  people,  23  j 
corruptions  of,  27 ; incapacity 
of,  39 ; and  distrust  of  for- 
eigners, 201.  V 

Guilds,  organization  of,  129. 

H. 

Hair,  modes  of  dressing,  136. 

Hats,  description  of,  139. 

Heating  arrangements,  121. 

Home  life,  96,  sqq. 

Honorifics,  58. 

Houses,  50,  97;  how  built,  120. 

I. 

Ironing,  155. 

J. 

Japan,  relations  of,  with  Korea,  13, 
15,  261,  263 ; attractions  of,  for 


tourists,  16,  17;  religion  in, 
185;  progress  of,  226. 

Jumping  the  rope,  164. 

K. 

Kidnaping  of  women,  29,  31. 

Kim  Ok  Kiun,  73,  89. 

King,  the,  of  Korea,  power  of,  22  j 
limited  by  custom,  24;  outings 
of,  167,  sqq. 

Kites,  160. 

Korea,  not  attractive  to  toui'ists,  16; 
physical  features  of,  18;  climate 
of,  19 ; its  government,  22,  sqq.  / 
instruction  of  army  of,  41 ; lan- 
guages of,  58,  sqq. 

L. 

Languages,  the,  affinities  of,  58,  62 ; 
diflSculties  of,  to  a foreigner,  59; 
influenced  by  the  Chinese,  63. 

Laundry,  the,  153. 

M. 

Manufactures,  scarcity  of,  199 ; state 
of,  at  present,  215. 

Marriage,  how  arranged,  99;  eti- 
quette of,  102;  happiness  re- 
sulting from,  105. 

Medicines,  93,  94. 

Military  development  and  instruc- 
tion, 39,  235. 

Minerals,  occurrence  of,  200,  sqq. 

Mint,  the  new,  39. 

Min  Yong  Ik,  head  of  embassy,  228 ; 
attack  upon,  241. 


INDEX. 


327 


Missionaries,  excellence  of,  248. 

Missionary  work,  obstacles  to,  198 ; 
beginnings  of,  292,  eqq.;  enter- 
prises of,  295,  8qq.;  limitations 
of,  301,  308  j and  success,  305, 
308 ; among  women,  315  ; needs 
of,  317  ; prospects  of,  320. 

Monks,  Buddhist,  191. 

Mourning,  garb  of,  147. 

Music,  177. 

ism  of,  89 ; and  cleanliness  of, 
92 ; diseases  of,  93 ; fondness 
of,  for  the  bills,  176;  open  to  re- 
ligious instruction,  186;  super- 
stitions of,  193 ; intellectual 
ability  of,  231. 

Persimmon,  lusciousness  of  the,  207. 

Pipes,  118. 

Political  parties,  229. 

Polygamy,  109. 

% 

Navigation  of  coasts,  dangerous,  19o 
Now  Year’s  customs,  195. 

Porters,  guild  of,  129. 
pottery,  fine  grades  of,  not  produced, 
218. 

% H. 

O. 

RainJ^fe^n,  20,  125. 

Officials,  grades  of,  25;  and  corrup- 
tion, 27 ; connivance  at  crime, 
30;  abuse  of  powers,  33;  nepot- 
ism among,  33 ; bribery  among, 
35;  etiquette  among,  115;  court 
dress  of,  146. 

Old  age,  regard  for,  107. 

Opium,  little  used,  91. 

Registr^on;  how  effected,  119. 

Religions^S^4^a'°>  185 ; in  China, 
186;  in  186,  sqq.;  ob- 
servance ceremonies  per- 

functory, 187. 

Rockbill,  Mr.,  on  the  independence 
of  Korea,  251,  257,  259. 

“ Royal  College,”  the,  228. 

P. 

S. 

Palaces,  49. 

People,  the,  of  Korea,  influence  of, 
on  government,  23;  reasons  of 
indolence  of,  32 ; orderly  char- 
acter of,  51 ; literary  ability, 
73;  physique,  75;  their  appre- 
ciation of  humor,  80,  158 ; kind- 
ness of,  11,  81 ; credulity  of,  82; 
excitability  of,  84 ; curiosity  of, 
86,  167 ; poverty  of,  88 ; patriot- 

Salutations,  110. 

Schools,  native,  159;  governmental, 
228 ; missionary,  234,  297,  300. 
Shufeldt,  Admiral,  negotiates  a 
treaty,  15. 

Signal  fires,  56,  246. 

Silk  industry,  50,  212. 
Spirit-worship,  190,  193. 
Stone-fights,  173. 

Superstitions,  193. 

328 


lyn-EX. 


T. 

Temples,  191. 

Tides,  height  of,  19. 

Tobacco,  use  of,  117 
Tourists,  attractions  of  Japan  for, 
16,  17 ; and  of  Korea,  16. 
Treaty,  with  Japan,  15;  with  the 
United  States,  15;  with  Euro- 
pean powers,  15. 

V. 

Vegetables,  209. 

W. 

Wall-paper,  124. 


Walls,  of  the  capital,  44;  ordinary, 
how  built,  125. 

Watchmen,  54. 

Wells  a source  of  danger,  126, 
280. 

Women,  seclusion  of,  78,  96,  98 ; 
their  physique,  79;  neat  ap- 
pearance, 92 ; visits  of,  how 
managed,  104;  influence  of, 
106,  150;  dress  of,  145;  labors 
of,  151 ; earnestness  of,  in  re- 
ligious matters,  156,  314. 

W oolens,  not  used,  222. 

Work,  not  accounted  honorable.  111. 


cancelled 


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